Peas in a Pod
by Pirate Oncer
Summary: Elizabeth Swann is getting ready to marry William Turner, but is unsure sure of her desires. Captain Jack Sparrow is vexed, but doesn't know what is the cause. Tides turn and throw them and everyone in their lives into a storm. Rated mature for later chapters. Sparrabeth!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: This story is a Pirates of the Caribbean fan-fiction that takes place post CotBP and sort of follows the plot of DMC. But of course changed it to make it more Sparrabeth. Hope you enjoy!

Summary: Elizabeth Swann is getting ready to marry Will Turner. But will a certain wedding gift change everything...

~•~

The Swann Residence, Port Royal:

"Don't tighten the corset too much. I would like to not faint during my wedding," Elizabeth said as her maids bound her in the many layers of her wedding dress. The silky fabric surrounded her like a cloud and it was the perfect way to describe how she was feeling today. After so many years of loving her fiancé William Turner, today she was going to marry him.

But in the midst of the fabric she felt a pin. It wasn't sharp but it was rather annoying and it seemed there was nothing she could to remove it. It was strange how accurately her dress represented her feelings. Just like the pin, something didn't feel right about the situation she faced on this day.

For as long as she could remember, Elizabeth had always been told that when she became a woman, her father would give her away to a fine man and she would live her life with him. But after her adventures with pirates and particularly a certain Jack Sparrow, she wasn't so sure that she wanted to live that kind of life. A smile appeared on her lips at how she had referred to Jack and quickly corrected her mistake, even though no one knew what she was thinking, and added his beloved title of "Captain".

"We are all done here madam," one of Elizabeth's maids said, interrupting her thoughts. She put the final pin into the back of her dress. Elizabeth stepped down from her dressing stool and examined herself in the gold-encrusted mirror that showed her the whole outfit from her veil to her shoes. She admired the lace embroidery on the bodice and the semi-clear fabric of her veil. She examined the lower portion and ran her hand over the hem of the dress and down the billowing silk.

"It's perfect. This should be the dream wedding dress of any woman," Elizabeth stated in awe as she twirled around to allow the fabric to flow in every direction. Her maids folded the private divider that had surrounded her for about an hour for the dressing. They greeted her to a quick bow before exiting her room, leaving her to her thoughts.

Elizabeth sighed in relief and opened the window on the west side of her room. She breathed in the salty sea breeze that stung her nose, but it felt far more pleasurable than anything she had smelled in a forest or grand city. She gazed at the sun hovering above the light blue waves of the Caribbean Sea.

"Will I ever be able to sail the seas and truly feel this after my marriage with Will?" Elizabeth mumbled as she reminisced about her times on the decks of the Interceptor and the Black Pearl. She placed her lace-covered arms on the ledge and hung her head. She suddenly heard a tiny but confident chirp to her right side. She looked over and noticed a sparrow crouching next to her with a box in its claws. She placed her fingers on the box and the sparrow chirped once more, as if it was saying goodbye, and flew away as fast as it had appeared.

Elizabeth examined the box in her hands. It was a rather small box but it was incredibly ornate and beautiful. It was black with gorgeous patterns engraved all over it in gold with a bejeweled latch. She gingerly opened the latch and lifted the lid of the box. The first thing she noticed was an envelope that covered what else may have been inside. She strode over to her desk and placed the present down and picked up the envelope. She noticed beautiful calligraphy on the back that read:

 _A gift from a Sparrow to a Swann_

Elizabeth immediately understood why the gift was delivered so peculiarly and how it was completely normal for the previously anonymous gift-giver to perform such a grand, yet secretive, gesture. She hastily opened the envelope, wanting eagerly to know what her pirate friend had sent her. She saw the same beautiful calligraphy that was on the back of the envelope. Her fingers traced the writing as she read:

 _My dearest Swann,_  
 _  
I'm so sorry that I cannot attend your and William's special day. But, as you are fully aware I'm sure, it would not bode well for me to step foot in your dear Port Royal. I do, however, feel obliged to congratulate you for achieving something you have always wanted. But, as I have lately been realizing, sometimes what we think we want isn't what we really want. And it is for this reason, that my wedding gift to you is this compass._

Elizabeth stopped reading for a second with a curious expression on her face. She reached into the box and pulled out a greenish-black compass with golden beads surrounding the base and circular top. She urubbed the compass around in her hand as if trying to predict what it was for. She opened it and it spun around l ike any other compass. But when it stopped, it didn't point to the well known direction of north. Utterly confused by the compass's nature, she continued reading:

 _Do not be baffled by the fact that my compass appears to be broken. My compass is unique. It doesn't point north like all the others._

 _It points to the thing you want most. In case you feel the need to clarify your decision of marriage, this compass will show you if that is what you truly desire._

 _I hope you make the right choice._

 _Your Sparrow_

Elizabeth looked down again at the compass in her hand. She looked back at the letter to make sure that it said what she had read. The clock struck 7 and she realized that her and Will's decision to have the wedding at night, provided her with a few hours to follow the compass and see where it lead her. She folded the letter and inserted it back into the envelope. She then tucked it along with the compass behind a secure band hidden in the many layers of her dress.

Her hand slowly turned the doorknob and it creaked slightly as she pushed it open. Her eyes scanned the hallway, which was completely empty. Everyone was probably getting ready for the wedding. The wood creaked beneath her feet as she crept up the hallway and down the stairs.

The house appeared to be abandoned but Elizabeth knew that everyone was in the kitchen because of the raucous noise that came from the laughter of the servants and the clanging of pots and pans. She held up the hems of her dress and cautiously strode out the back door, which was secluded from the rest of the house, so she could evade the residence in secrecy.

~•~

The town of Port Royal appeared to be deserted, but in reality everyone was at the wedding hall to obtain a good seat to witness the important joining. Elizabeth's shoes clinked against the cobblestone streets as she followed the arrow of the compass. Her eyes weren't paying the least bit of attention to her surroundings. They were intensely focused on the red arrow.

Her feet suddenly stopped moving when she felt the cool feeling of ocean water on her ankles. She moved her eyes off the compass and squinted at the sunlight reflecting off the crystal blue waves. She sighed and realized that, even though she didn't want to admit it, she had already known that the sea was what she truly desired.

Eyelids covered her amber orbs and a tear streamed down her face. Nothing was truly right about this marriage. Instead of gaining a life of happiness, she was going to lose the most important thing in her life. Of course she wanted to be married, but she now was questioning if Will was actually the right man for her.

"No. He isn't the right man for me. Oh no! How could I have been so blind!" She exclaimed as she held her head in frustration. She moved back slightly from the water and sank down onto the sand without even caring about the fact that she was in her wedding gown. Many more tears fell from her lashes as she regretted the decisions that had been made about her life by her and others.

Her hand wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks. She thought back to something Jack had told her when they were aboard the Dauntless.

 _"Don't get me wrong, luv. I admire a person who's willing to do whatever's necessary," Jack had said when he was explaining why neither of them had told Will about the curse on Barbossa and his crew._

 _She had replied, " You're a smart man Jack, but I don't entirely trust you." She had honestly thought that he was trustworthy at least as far as she was concerned, but had been warned about the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow many times in her life._

 _That was when he had walked closer to her and whispered, " Peas in a pod, darling." He looked her in the eyes and stared into them only for a few seconds, but it felt like he had thoroughly observed the deepest parts of her soul. There was undoubtedly something different about the way he looked at her. Neither had she ever be seen that way nor had he ever looked at anyone like that._

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she realized that he was right. They were peas in a pod. They wanted exactly the same things. Another thought entered Elizabeth's mind, a memory of her time on the island with Jack.

 _Though they were both drunk, they weren't drunk enough to not understand the depth of meaningful words. At least, Elizabeth was still able to do so._

 _"Wherever we want to go, we go. That's what a ship is you know," Jack stated as he was explaining what he would do when he got back the Pearl._

 _"It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, no, that's what a ship needs," he said, staring at Elizabeth's face to see if she was understanding. She looked at him slightly confused but still somewhat understood him._

 _He continued, "But what a ship is, is freedom. That's what the Black Pearl really is." Elizabeth stared at him a second and took in everything he was saying. Even in her clouded mind, she really took to heart what he had just said. She honestly felt bad for him. A man who longed the freedom that the sea provided wasn't meant to be stuck on a spit of land._

 _"Jack," she said as she leaned her head and rubbed it into his chest._

 _"It must be so terrible for you to be stuck on this island." He leaned his head on hers and began to wrap his arm around her shoulders. At this point he had begun to flirt with her, but she was sober enough to know that it was the rum talking now and began to tease him._

 _To move back to the subject, Elizabeth raised her bottle in the air in a toast and said, "To freedom."_

 _Jack raised his bottle as well and clinked it against hers._

 _"To the Pearl," he toasted and began to chug down the remainder of rum in his bottle. He fainted shortly after that, but Elizabeth had stayed up and was contemplating his words. That was the point when she realized that he had the life she'd always wanted, but thought that she could never have._

The two memories clashed in Elizabeth's head and after a significant amount of said mental disturbance, she finally had an answer. Jack had told her that she could do anything necessary to achieve what she wanted. Up till now, she had thought that she wanted a life as a proper lady. But it was now that she realized what her heart had been yearning for all of these years.

She wanted to be a pirate. She wanted to sail the seas freely. She wanted to act on selfish impulse and not have to worry about status or image. She wanted to be like Jack. She wanted to be like herself.

Elizabeth's eyes brightened and her lips turned upwards into a smile. She pick up her wet and sandy dress by the hems and shuffled up to her feet. It was nearly sundown which meant that her wedding would begin soon.

"People will begin to look for me soon. I have to get away before someone takes me back to that awful life I have awaiting me," she thought as she ran towards the docks. She hadn't the slightest idea what she was going to do once she reached there but she did know that it was her only chance at escaping. She kicked off her heels as they were only slowing her down, and ran as fast as one could.

Within a few minutes she reached the dock. It was empty, except for a few sailors and a merchant vessel with its name, the Keeper, painted on its side. A plan occupied her mind and she quickly began tearing the seams of her dress. The heavy gown fell and pooled at her ankles, leaving her in a cotton morning gown. Luckily, the gown was decent enough to be seen in public.

Elizabeth stepped out of her wedding attire and pushed it off the dock and into the sea. As she pushed her dress into the water, she felt as if she had shed her life in Port Royal and was finally ready to leave it all behind.

~•~

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: I've decided to use the base of DMC for the next few chapters so some of the story will seem familiar, but I'm going to start to stray. Some of the facts are different like the black spot which doesn't exist in this story because it scares me. But for the most part, the material is original. Hope you enjoy!

Summary: Elizabeth has decided to leave behind her wedding and her life at Port Royal, but what does she plan to do now? Jack is taking a break from the sea, but something's got him vexed and the omens don't end there...

~•~

Elizabeth boarded a small rowboat and began rowing to the merchant vessel that was anchored slightly off shore. She grabbed a hold of one of the ropes that held the ship in place, and began to climb up to the deck. Her bare feet touched the wood silently. She scurried across the deck and crept down the stairs that led to the lower decks.

"Where is the storage room?" Elizabeth asked out loud, inspecting the area. She opened a door and peered inside. She sighed in relief, realizing that it was indeed a store room. She locked the door behind her and roamed deeper into the room. Spying some extra sailor clothes on a far shelf, her hands grabbed them as she began to dawn her disguise.

She slipped out of her gown and shoved it into a sack after dumping out the apples that previously occupied it. Using some bandages from the medicinal cabinet, she wrapped her breasts and suppressed them as much as she could to appear less feminine. She pulled on some loose trousers and a sailor shirt. She pulled the strings of the shirt and trousers tight to hide anything that could reveal her true identity.

Elizabeth looked at her reflection in a bottle of rum and noticed that her face still needed to appear more manly. She pulled the pins out of her styled hair and let it hang loose. She pulled it up and pinned it into a tight bun. A tricorne hat adorned her head as she once again checked her reflection. She definitely appeared more manly but her flawless skin made her look more like an aristocrat than a sailor.

She looked around the room for something that would stain her skin and make her appearance more ghastly and dirty. She spotted an old lantern and rubbed her fingers into the soot. Her face twisted in disgust as the ash spread across her clean skin. Her eyes fluttered open and finally they were able to accept that her appearance was that of a sailor.

Any belongings that were still accompanying her were stuffed into the burlap sack along with her cotton gown. Elizabeth swung the sack over her shoulder and opened the door to the lower decks. The place was still empty but the crew were bound to come back soon. Judging by the number of hammocks that hung from the ceiling, there were many crew members that tended to the vessel despite its small size.

Elizabeth surveyed each hammock until she came upon a few without an owner. She stowed the sack in the least tattered of them and claimed it as her own. She made sure that it was properly stowed and, more importantly, hidden from any curious eyes.

Once she reached the top deck again, she acted casually and bit into an apple she'd taken from the sack before leaving the rest on the shelf. One of the crew members that she had snuck past on her way down greeted her with a nod of his head and she did the same. Noise came bustling towards the ship as a few boats pulled up to the ship and began unloading. Elizabeth blended into the mass as she helped unload the items.

"Hey lad, help me with these crates, why don't ya" a hefty sailor asked her while handing her a box of potatoes. Elizabeth took the box from him and smiled as she turned to take it down to the store room.

"They think I'm actually one of them," she whispered to herself as she put the box on a shelf.

"Now it's all just a matter of getting them to sail to a port where I can sneak off... But where?" Her eyes glinted in the light of the lanterns that hung by her as she smiled deviously.

"Tortuga."

~•~

The Black Pearl, Tortuga:

"Mister Gibbs, I need someone to go into town to buy more rum. The damn stuff is always gone!" Jack ordered as he sauntered about the deck of his beloved Pearl. He placed his hands on the rail and gazed out at the horizon where the darkening sea merged against the twilight sky. He smiled at the sight and closed his kohl covered eyes.

"Are you thinking about her again?" A feminine voice asked from beside him. He looked up to see Anamaria leaning her back against the railing. He sighed and smirked at the question.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" He asked, trying to avoid the question she'd asked. She stood straight and walked closer to him. Stopping only a few inches away, she crossed her arms in front of her and cocked her head to the side. Jack could tell that she was coming dangerously close to penetrating the shield he kept on his emotions, so he resorted to witty quips as defense.

"Anamaria, do you take me for some touchy-feely, pathetic whelp like that Will Turner." His eyebrows furrowed and he frowned at the mention of the lad's name. He didn't know why but his so called mate had become slightly repulsive to him lately, but he didn't know, or at least didn't want anyone else to know, why. Anamaria giggled slightly, before covering her mouth to stifle it when she noticed Jack scowling at her.

"Jack, you are so witty and smart, but yet remain so unbelievably ignorant when it comes to your own feelings," she sympathized in a way that made Jack feel slightly embarrassed at his own lack of understanding. He shuffled his feet and wrung his hands nervously while staring at the sea.

Then, without another word on the subject, left to badger Gibbs some more about the lack of rum aboard the vessel. Anamaria sighed and rested her hands on the side of the ship.

"Oh Captain. When will you admit that you love her? I guess it seems difficult considering her getting married and all, not to mention your own ego, but you can't keep torturing yourself like this with thoughts of her," she said to herself as she rubbed the black wood.

She looked into the last rays of light the sun had to offer for the day and whispered, "Perhaps, if your destinies are meant to intertwine once more, it will be you instead of Turner who wins Elizabeth's heart."

~•~

The Keeper:

It had been about three days since Elizabeth had stowed away on the Keeper. Her dress had escaped her custody and was found by the quartermaster. In a rather short period of time, he had the whole crew believing that it belonged to the spirit of a maiden looking for her husband who died at sea. At that point, Elizabeth had finally figured out the one place where she had a shot at finding someone she knew.

Using the ghost story, she had made the crew believe that the "spirit" wished to be taken to the port she had written on the deck of the ship with fire...Tortuga. Now she was but a few miles away from the port where she would sneak off and try to find her friend, the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. It still surprised her how she was one of the few people in the world who could genuinely refer to him as a friend.

She tucked her knees into her chest as she stared out into the sea from her high perch in the crow's nest. Could she actually refer to him as a friend? They had shared more than a few heart-to-heart conversations. He understood her so damn well. Did that make him merely a friend? Her cheeks flushed as she thought of the first time they had ever met.

He had just saved her from drowning thanks to her dreadful corset. She remembered seeing his wet face hovering over her when she regained consciousness. As she looked back, she realized how strikingly handsome he was on that day, and pretty much every day that followed.

After being caught by the Royal Navy, it was remarkable how quickly he formulated a plan to escape. When he wound his manacled wrists over Elizabeth's head and around her throat, in all truth, she was only startled for a second. She was far to hypnotized by her captor.

As he made his demands, she was only half paying attention to his words. She had never been so close to a man before because of the "sense of propriety" she had to maintain. But, if she was to be honest, it felt so bloody good. His chest was so muscular and warm and the cool, smooth feel of his manacles were a striking contrast.

When he requested her to help him put in his effects, she displayed a distasteful expression towards the pirate. But as she buckled his belt and wound it around his waist, she felt incredibly aroused.

His head playfully massaged itself against her neck and shoulder, and even though she knew he was just annoying her father and the Commodore, she couldn't help but smile at the rush that went through her at the action. Actually, that encounter with Jack had been the most exciting thing in her life at that point in time. He was indeed impressive.

His dark eyes were absolutely mesmerizing and they were the perfect fit for every other amazing thing about him. His black, tangled hair to his tanned, sharp features to his lean, muscular body all made him an embodiment of perfection.

His personality was no less unique. You could scour the entire globe, and you still wouldn't find someone with a personality as charming, mysterious, clever, or appealing as that of Jack Sparrow. He just made her feel something so special, something that she had never felt before and couldn't really explain. But she did know that this strange feeling was one of the reasons she'd run away from her wedding with Will.

She had to find Jack. She didn't know what she was going to do once she found him, but she just had to be in his embrace. He might not welcome her into one, but just the mere sight of him would help her so much. The meaning behind this fondness she felt toward him was unclear, but at the moment it was unimportant. All that mattered was that the emotion was present and seeing him was the only thing that would provide her with the peace of mind she so desperately craved.

"I'm coming for you Jack," she whispered as she took in a swig of rum from the bottle that rested beside her. Her recent development in drinking habits didn't concern her. She was going to find Jack. The rest will play out per fate's intentions.

~•~

It was late at night in Tortuga which normally meant drinking rum and flirting with saucy wenches for Jack. But even when his crew invited him to accompany them to his favorite tavern, the Faithful Bride, he had declined. Now he was sitting at his desk and doing some lazy cartography. He dropped his charcoal pencil down on the wood and reached for his rum bottle.

"Why is the rum always gone?" He sighed as he banged the bottle back down on the desk. He got up and made his way down to the storage room in hopes of finding another bottle. The room was moist and the stench was unbearable even for him. This was certainly not his favorite place to be, but it was either this or going to town, and he was in no mood to get slapped by his ex-girlfriends who he'd inevitably run into.

After some searching, he found one bottle. He began dusting it of when he heard a voice behind him, and dropped the rum in shock, causing it to shatter into a million pieces.

"Time's up Jack," the voice said ominously. Jack crept in the direction and saw a man, grotesque looking, resembling a sea creature of sorts. The face became increasingly familiar as the man turned around.

"Bootstrap," Jack gasped as the man's identity became clear to him.

"You look good Jack," Bootstrap said as he grabbed a cockroach and shoved it into his mouth. Jack merely stared at him, not knowing how to respond to the statement. He began talking to Bootstrap about whether this was a dream or not, and then they began to talk about his mutiny and what happened to Bootstrap after that.

"That's what happens when you strike a deal with devil," Jack said, as Bootstrap told him of how he was indebted to serve on board the Flying Dutchman.

"You struck a deal with him too Jack," Bootstrap said hovering his face precariously above Jack's head.

"He raised the Pearl from the depths for you. Now it's time for you to pay the price. One hundred years of service aboard the Dutchman," he reminded Jack. He didn't need to be reminded of his debt to Davy Jones.

"You've been captain of the Pearl for thirteen years Jack."

"Well, actually I was only captain for..." Jack began, but was interrupted by Bootstrap's booming voice.

"You can't talk yourself out of this one Jack. Jones's leviathan will hunt you down," he warned as he moved slightly away from him.

Jack trembled a little at the mention of the leviathan and asked timidly, "Do you know when Jones will release said terrible beastie?"

Bootstrap chuckled in way that sent chills down Jack's back, and then said, "I already told you Jack. Your time is up." And with that he was gone. Jack's head spun around and he felt the entire world go hazy. Suddenly a piercing pain struck through his brain. Jack grunted and held his head in his hands. After a few excruciating seconds, the pain began to wash away.

Jack staggered back to his cabin, without the bottle of rum he'd set out to get, but it wouldn't do him much good now anyway. He sat down on his bed and began removing his effects. He figured a night's sleep of any nature might do him some good. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside. He was now only in his brown trousers, which he found was the most comfortable way for him to sleep.

He lay down on his back and propped his head slightly up with his arm. His eyes began to close and pretty soon he was well into a rather disturbed sleep. His life was in turmoil and for once, he didn't have a clue on what he could do.

~•~

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: Alright, I have a bit to say about this chapter. It's pretty much going to be more Sparrabeth and a bit of drama in between. I tried to stay as true to the characters as possible. I just made them a bit more open with their feelings to limit the mind-voice paragraphs. I've also made Elizabeth a little more powerful, outgoing and pirate-y to match up with Jack better. But she is less closed off and snippy with Jack than in the movies. Hope you enjoy! (P.S. I would love some more reviews to see what you guys think about this story. Thx!)

Summary: Elizabeth is out to find Jack but doesn't know what she'll do when she does. Jack is in trouble, but will a certain person's arrival add more trouble or help him out of it...

~•~

The Keeper pulled into the ever-bustling port of Tortuga, where Elizabeth planned to make an escape. She grabbed the burlap sack that held her belongings along with her recently recovered gown. As the crew poured out into the streets, Elizabeth escaped and pushed her way to the place she had heard Will say Jack had taken him to once. It was a fairly large and rowdy tavern called The Faithful Bride.

"Ironic," she thought, "I doubt there is a single bride here who remains faithful." She entered the tavern and was welcomed by a bottle flying toward her head. Luckily, she dodged it but it was indeed a close call. Suddenly very cautious of her surroundings, Elizabeth proceeded towards the bar.

"Two rums," she ordered the bar man, placing a couple shillings in the counter. As she waited for her drinks, she spotted an old drunkard that she recognized immediately. Her drinks arrived and she quickly thanked the bar man before rushing towards the drunkard.

"Mister Gibbs!" Elizabeth shouted as she stopped next to the man. He turned around slightly dazed and confused.

But he quickly regained focus and exclaimed, "Mother's love! Why it be Miss Elizabeth!" He stood up and swayed a bit. He laughed heartily as he called some of the other crew members to come and reunite with the young lady. Elizabeth greeted a few of them that she recognized like Pintel, Ragetti, Marty, and even Anamaria.

"Gibbs, it's not that I do not enjoy reacquainting myself with you all, but... Where's Jack?" she finally asked. Gibbs's smile faded and he thought deeply for a few seconds.

"By God, I haven't seen him all night! I don't even think he left the ship," he said stunned by his own realization.

"So he's aboard the Pearl then?" Elizabeth asked, and hearing the desperation in her voice, blushed.

"Aye," Gibbs answered before taking another swig of rum from his bottle. Elizabeth hastily thanked him and made a beeline for the Black Pearl.

Once she reached the ship, she ran into to Cotton and his parrot, who were guarding the boat and immediately welcomed her onboard. Elizabeth ran her fingers over the rail of the familiar black ship. She climbed to the second floor of the ship, which separated the top deck from the deck that housed the crew and supplies. This deck housed the Captain's cabin. She smiled and carefully turned the knob.

The door quietly creaked open and Elizabeth poked her head inside. She observed the messy cabin, covered in maps and empty bottles of rum. She kept gazing around and slowly entered the silent room. The wooden door shut with a quiet click and persuaded Elizabeth to venture deeper into the cabin. A bed adorned the right wall of the space. It was a fairly large bed with red-violet satin sheets covering it and crimson pillows near the head board.

In the middle of all the sheets and pillows was Jack, sound asleep. Elizabeth stared at the sleeping man for a few minutes, somewhat disappointed that he wasn't awake for her arrival. But a grin crept its way around her face. He looked so handsome when he was sleeping. But he wasn't peaceful. His face was twisted in an expression that conveyed fear and stress.

Elizabeth looked at the two bottles of rum in her hand. She ambled to his desk and placed the bottles down along with her sack. She craved for the taste of the sweet yet burning beverage, but she desired that Jack would drink the other bottle in her company. She sighed and walked away from the desk and back to the bed.

Elizabeth leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Good night Jack." She breathed for a moment then moved above his head. Her hand caressed the right side of his face and a sigh escaped her lips. She lowered her head a bit more, hesitant of her next move. But her lips met his forehead in a small yet sweet kiss. As she stood straight once more she noticed the stress and fear wash away from his face, replaced by a lazy smile of bliss.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the sleeping pirate and giggled. She went back over to the desk and settled on his chair.

"Not the best way to sleep," she thought, but set out to find a comfortable position in the wooden chair. She guessed that it would be about two in the morning from the sleepiness that suddenly surrounded her, as if it had been collecting for this moment. Her eyes drooped down and she dozed of into a deep sleep, filled with dreams of what might happen in the future.

~•~

The sharp rays of first daylight struck Jack's face. As they settled into a warm drape, Jack began to flutter his eyelids open and pushed his torso off of the bed. He gazed groggily around the room and froze. There was a lad sleeping in his chair. He stepped out of bed and reached for his sword. Assuming a defensive position, he marched carefully over to the figure.

The lad had a hat positioned firmly over his head and face. Jack tried to use the tip of his sword to lift it but it wouldn't budge. If the lad was dangerous, then removing the hat would provoke him. But he had to wake the him up. He edged closer to the chair. Suddenly, Jack grabbed the boy by his shoulders and placed the lad in front of his body.

The boy's back was turned to him and the hat was still intact. He wrapped his arm firmly around the lad's waist in a restraining position and held the sword to his throat.

"You got a lot of nerve sneaking into a Captain's cabin mate," Jack whispered in a threatening tone as he tightened his grip around the abdomen. As of now, the boy hadn't uttered a sound. Without warning, his heel raised upward forcefully and nailed Jack right between the legs. The pirate lost his grip and his footing as he stumbled back onto the floor in pain.

The lad reached to the desk and seized Jack's pistol. He came close to the writhing man on the floor and bent lower into a crouch. Before he knew it, Jack was pinned to the ground and was straddled by the boy, who held the gun up to his temple. The boy ran the barrel down the side of his face in a dangerously gentle way and angled into his throat. Jack's Adam's apple bobbed as he gulped nervously at his current situation.

After getting past the initial shock, Jack noticed something strange about the man. Something didn't feel right about the way he was sitting on him. He'd been in enough awkward situations to know what it felt like to be straddled by a man, most of them being battles, others were just meeting strange men. But this lad didn't seem to possess what made a man... a man.

"Sorry to ask mate, but you're not a eunuch, are you? I don't seem to have good luck with them," he stated in a snarky tone, recalling that when he last fought Will, he'd been arrested. The lad's face was still a mystery to him but his voice was beginning to show. The lad began to... giggle? This was definitely no male. The boy abruptly stood up and strode to the desk, freeing Jack.

As he began to stumble back to his feet, Jack noticed the boy reaching into a sack and pulling out a small box. The box was familiar.

Once Jack was stable again the boy said, "Captain Sparrow, you have definitely changed from when I last saw you. I was able to best you so easily, I'd say you are losing your touch." The voice was far too familiar to Jack. It was the voice that had been haunting him day and night since it left him.

"Elizabeth," he whispered hoarsely, as if he had seen a ghost. At the mention of her name, the young girl pulled off her hat. Luscious, blonde locks flowed freely down her shoulders and back as she revealed her smirking face to the Captain. Jack walked closer to her with a vaguely shocked expression that melted into his trademark smirk.

"You know Elizabeth, these clothes don't flatter you at all. It should be a dress or nothing, and there happens to be no dress in this cabin," he teased, gesturing around the room. Elizabeth giggled at the comment.

"Well you remain unfortunate Jack. I happen to have a dress with me," she said pointing to her sack. Jack grimaced at the sack and turned back to Elizabeth. He expected her to continue the conversation, most likely with something about Will. That's when he realized that she was with him, aboard his ship, when she was supposed to be on her honeymoon with that whelp.

"Elizabeth, I hope you don't mind my asking, but... Why the bloody hell are you here instead of with your dearly beloved back home!?" Jack yelled with yet another huge gesture. Elizabeth scowled at him for the sudden outburst, and his expression softened a little. He stared at her, waiting for an answer, when he noticed her bright eyes well up with tears.

"My intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled," he joked, trying to ease the tension. But she didn't seem to lighten up.

"Elizabeth..." Jack whispered in a consoling yet questioning tone. He moved closer to her and placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. The last time he had done that, she had pushed him away very quickly, which made it an action he didn't perform often. But this time, she seemed to welcome the act with open arms.

"Jack..." Elizabeth leaned into him and threw her arms around his neck. She wept into his shoulder and squeezed herself as close as she could to him, as if bracing onto life itself. Jack remained stiff after being caught off-guard by her action, but eased his hands up and down her back as if soothing a child.

"Jack, nothing is right anymore. I don't know what I want and I have given up everything I had. You are the only person I know who can help me. Please help me!" She pleaded between sobs. Jack pushed her off of him gently and sat her on the foot of his bed. After settling down next to her, he took her hand in his and lightly massaged it.

"Elizabeth... What happened?" That was all he could say. His usual ease with words seemed to have vanished and he couldn't muster anything better than a measly question.

Elizabeth sighed and told him of everything that had happened on her wedding day. He listened intently to the story and was somewhat disappointed that she hadn't mentioned anything to do with him as a reason for leaving Will. But then, Elizabeth mentioned his wedding present and letter.

"Your gift is what took me away from my wedding. You wrote that we as humans can get what we desire mixed up with what we assume we desire. And that you learned that recently. What did you mean?" She asked, assuming power over his hand now. Jack sat frozen, utterly speechless. This was a rare phenomenon and he hated when it happened.

Jack had become a captain at the young age of 15 and had become accustomed to hiding behind his words for power, a trait he hadn't quite grown away from yet. In fact, his defenses only became stronger after his mutiny at 17. Situations that left him without words, left him feeling vulnerable, a feeling he hated above all else.

After some stuttering and stammering, Jack finally found some words that masked him just enough as to not portray him as an emotional whelp. "After I left you and William back at Port Royal, I began doing some honest pirating again. But I kept thinking back to the times you and I spent together on moons past..." He gazed up nervously to see if she was getting uncomfortable by his words. He was really putting himself out there and it felt almost painful to do so after so many years of concealment. His act was faltering and he couldn't hide anymore.

He continued, "...and every time I thought of you I realized that I missed you. I actually wanted to be around you more. That was about the point that I developed a distaste for Will. It felt as if he was stealing you away from me. I didn't want to lose someone who was such a close friend."

His last words made Elizabeth's heart sink. Just when she thought he was going to turn into something more, he burnt out the hope. But she stopped worrying when she realized that the person talking to her was Jack Sparrow. He'd probably never in his life called anyone a friend, let alone a close one. Her hand entwined with his and she tightened her grasp. He really did care about her.

"You will never lose me," she stated confidently. Jack sat up straight and regained some of his pride. Also tightening his grasp, he smiled a her. A genuine smile. Not a smirk, or a humorous tease. It was a genuine smile that conveyed that he was happy with her and her answer.

He stood up slowly and picked up the box that contained his compass and letter. He pulled his ornate effect out of the box and opened it. The red needle spun around but didn't stop. Once again he wasn't sure what he wanted. He hadn't known for the past month and nothing had changed...yet.

"Keep this with you until you find what you want," Jack said softly as he placed the compass in Elizabeth's hand along with the letter. He ambled in front of his mirror and felt slightly embarrassed at the realization that he was still shirtless, and hastily pulled his clothes on.

Just before he walked out the door, he turned around and asked, "Elizabeth, will you be occupying my cabin for the duration of your stay?" Elizabeth then realized that she had been too emotionally distraught to notice that she had invaded his privacy.

"No, it's fine Jack. I can sleep on the lower deck with the crew," she offered.

Jack chuckled at her ignorance and said, "You will be much safer up here. You can take my bed Elizabeth. I will have an extra mattress brought up for me to sleep on the other side of the cabin. If you need more privacy, just say the word and I will vacate immediately."

Elizabeth was astonished by the hospitality Jack was providing her with. Though she was reluctant to accept the offer, she just nodded, not wanting him to give up anymore. Jack grinned at her one last time before leaving the cabin. At least for now she had a place to stay with someone who obviously cared for her. But what was going to happen next?

~•~

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: All right, so I know I made Jack a bit more emotionally open than he is, but I couldn't stand moving slowly. But I promise he will go through enough to learn not to trust Elizabeth so much. (Evil laugh). That said, he does have Anamaria as a friend in this story, so she will play a big part in the story. As far as Elizabeth is concerned, she will continue as she's been, but get closer to Jack and more like her true self. Still fluffy for now, and a bit more. Please review, favorite, follow or anything that lets me know about my story. I would really love to know. :)

Summary: Jack continues having to face his feelings and past at every turn. Elizabeth is trying to figure out what she wants, but just like Jack, she has to face her feelings and past as they come at her full force.

~•~

Jack stood at the helm of his ship, even though it wasn't moving, and pretended to sail. He had insisted on remaining at port after his encounter with Bootstrap. His hands caressed the wheel of his beloved ship and he closed his eyes. There were few times when he could be completely at peace. Now as he was standing on his ship, his hands on her wheel, he was in one of those moments.

His eyes slid open and he pulled his hands off the wood. He couldn't keep living in a fantasy all by his onesies, with no help from his delusion creating holy nectar. His feet felt heavy as they trudged down the stairs to his cabin. He needed rum. Sure it would only make him feel heavier, but if he drank enough, he might pass out into blissful unconsciousness. His hand slid around the door knob and pushed the door open.

"Jack!" An indignant voice shouted at him. Jack's eyes widened in terror and he shut the door as quickly as he could. He leaned his back against it and panted heavily. In his thoughts, he had completely forgotten that he was sharing his cabin with a woman now, and one to whom he had to act gentlemanly towards nonetheless. He turned to face the door again and this time knocked warily on the wood.

The door creaked open slowly and Elizabeth poked her head through the crack. Her bare shoulder indicated that she still hadn't dressed herself after the shocking encounter that had occurred only seconds before.

"Jack, you should really knock before entering. I have my personal activities to do as well, you know," she scolded, not opening the door any wider. Jack apologized but then quickly asked her to get dressed so that he could enter. The door shut and opened a few minutes later. Elizabeth was now wearing the gown that had been in her sack.

Jack walked in cautiously, as if he was entering a stranger's cabin. He looked around and saw that it was neater than how he had left it. Elizabeth had obviously done some tidying up after he'd left. He went to his desk and frantically searched for something that he immediately couldn't spot.

"Elizabeth, why is the rum gone?" He asked continuing his fruitless search. Elizabeth laughed.

"It's not gone Jack. It's over there, in the cabinets." Jack looked over to an array of cabinets he had forgotten existed. He had clearly not been organizing after he'd gotten his ship back from Barbossa. He opened the cabinets and smiled. They were fully stocked with rum.

Just as he was about to reach for a bottle, he felt a hand stop him. He looked and saw Elizabeth holding his arm away from the bottles.

Before he could question her, she said, "I bought these last night in Tortuga, but I wanted to share them with someone I could be around freely." Jack looked at her curiously, but grinned widely when she pulled out two bottles of rum. She cocked her head towards the door and walked there, signaling him to follow.

Stopping in front of the door abruptly, she turned around and told him, "Wait, I want you to cover your eyes." He looked at her confused, but shrugged it off. He obtained a piece of cloth from his newly organized drawers and wrapped it around his eyes. Once she made sure he couldn't see, she pulled him out onto the deck.

"Where are you taking me luv?" He asked, stumbling over his feet as she pulled him somewhere on his ship. She moved her grip up his arm, as if using him as a brace, and then sat down somewhere.

"Get on your hands and knees Jack," she ordered, in a way that utterly surprised Jack, but he did as he was told.

"Now crawl forward carefully until you feel my hand." Jack felt odd doing this, but heeded her words of doing it carefully. Once he was within reaching distance, Elizabeth grabbed his hand and yanked him forward. He was all of a sudden sitting somewhere with his legs hanging.

"Now," she said, untying the knot of his blindfold, "open your eyes." The blindfold fell off his eyes and he realized that they were seated on the bow of his ship. The sea glistened in the sun and he had a front row seat to witness it. He looked back at Elizabeth, who was holding out one of the bottles of rum to him.

He accepted it and uncorked the bottle. She did the same and held it up in a toast.

"To freedom," she toasted, the same thing she'd toasted to their night on Rumrunner's island. Jack smiled. She remembered that night just as well as he did.

"To the Black Pearl," he said, clinking their bottles together. He took a long swig from the bottle and looked back at her.

"Why'd you bring me all the way up here luv?" He asked, gazing questioningly at his companion. She sighed and took a sip from her bottle as well. Jack waited patiently for an answer.

"I wanted to spend some time with you alone, that's all," she answered. Jack leaned over and put an arm around her.

"I know exactly what you mean luv," he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively. She broke out of his grasp and playfully slapped his upper arm.

"You're despicable," she exclaimed, laughing and pushing him away. He chuckled at her reaction but leaned back towards her anyway. This time, Elizabeth willingly leaned into his shoulder, compelling Jack's arm to wrap around her shoulder again.

"It's been too long since I've laughed so much," she sighed, nuzzling closer into Jack. He leaned his head onto hers and pulled her closer. There was no distance between them anymore.

He said confidently, "As long as you are here, I can promise that there won't be a day you won't laugh." Elizabeth looked at him with incredibly surprised eyes filled with tears, but they were all tears of pure joy and gratefulness.

"Oh Jack..." She whispered wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, "thank you." Jack wound his arms around her waist and hugged her as well. They just stayed in that position for a while, until Jack felt his shirt dampen on his shoulder. He pulled Elizabeth to face him again and cupped her face, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears.

"You shouldn't be crying if your happy, Lizzie," he said, shaking his head. Elizabeth smiled and let him continue to wipe away her tears. She nodded once he was done and began asking him about what he had been up to since he left her at Port Royal. He told her all about the pillaging and plundering he had done since and all the treasure he had found. She listened closely to his tales, even though he may have been stretching the truth a bit. They were just as captivating as the pirate stories she had read as a child, but listening to him tell them was better.

They talked for hours, sometimes about important things, others just silly conversation, but both of them enjoyed it thoroughly. As they spoke, some of the crew returned to the ship from there day in town. At first many of them were confused as to where the captain and Miss Swann were. But the constant laughter erupting from the bow gave it away. Anamaria watched the duo quietly from a distance and smiled.

"Maybe you'll get a chance with her after all Jack," she whispered to herself before leaving to get dinner and a drink. Jack and Elizabeth had been so engaged in their conversation, that they didn't realize the setting sun until it shown brightly into their eyes.

"We should really get back down and have some dinner," Jack said, getting up from his spot and crawling back. He threw his empty bottle away and then did the same to hers. He helped her back to the boat, but she stumbled and fell into him. They both laughed and walked downstairs to the cabin they shared. Dinner was already waiting for them when they entered, something that had obviously been set up for the two. The meal was pasta and French wine.

~•~

"I have to find her!" yelled Will, storming out of the office where he'd been talking with Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington. He was dressed in semi formal attire, which would have been the only indication of his standing with the aristocracy of Port Royal. His eyes were so tired and he was so unkempt that one could mistake him for a Tortuga drunkard.

"Mr. Turner, what do you plan to do? You haven't the slightest idea where she has gone," Norrington yelled as he turned Will with a sharp turn of his shoulder.

"That can't stop me from searching," he spat back, yanking his shoulder free of the Commodore's hold. He turned to walk away again, but stopped to say one last thing.

"If I require assistance, you can be certain that I will contact you." And with that, Will set out to find his missing bride, all by himself.

~•~

"Jack, you can't operate a fork properly, can you?" Elizabeth joked, as Jack fumbled with keeping the pasta on the tines. He managed to skewer one piece and brought it up to his mouth, but before he could bite it, it slipped off and fell back to the plate.

"This bloody pasta doesn't want me to eat it. It hates me," Jack complained, prompting Elizabeth into a laughing fit. Jack watched her for a second, but then began laughing at his own predicament.

"Jack, watch how I eat," Elizabeth said, showing him slowly as she bit into her own pasta. He watched intently as her teeth nipped the pasta and was slowly sucked into her mouth by her pink tongue. Oh God, she was absolutely stunning. Jack shook his head clear of desire that flooded him and tried to do what she had just done. He picked up the pasta and was a breath away from catching it, before it slipped and fell back to his plate.

"Bugger," he yelled, tossing the plate onto the floor. He stared at it longingly, realizing he had just destroyed his dinner. Elizabeth looked at Jack's face sympathetically, as you would a stray dog.

"Here. We'll share mine," she said holding her fork with a piece of pasta already propped on top. He looked at her for a second but then leaned in to take the pasta from her fork. He tasted the pasta and the metal of the fork, but he also tasted something sweet and distinct. He tasted a mixture of vanilla and the sea and... Rum. He was definitely tasting Elizabeth.

"I think I like eating this way a lot better," he said as she continued feeding him. Elizabeth smiled warmly at the innocence that reflected on the normally mischievous-faced pirate. He was like a little boy. But still exhibited the seductive charm that made him so appealing.

When the last of the pasta and wine had been consumed, Jack and Elizabeth had continued conversing about their lives. They had moved to the foot of the larger bed in the room, that currently belonged to Elizabeth, and were sitting sideways facing one another.

"Thanks for sharing your dinner with me, Lizzie. It reminded me of... of," he stuttered, not sure if he wanted to go to that part of his past.

"Your mother?" Elizabeth asked. Jack looked at her and nodded, pain resonating from the memories of his mum.

"You know, I've never heard of your family before," Elizabeth said, winding her fingers with his, prompting him to tell more of his past. He decided to be concise.

"Though many people may think otherwise, I was the result of a loving marriage. I was born in Shipwreck Cove, a pirate stronghold, and raised there for most of my childhood. My mom was a strong stubborn women, a lot like you. But she loved me a lot, probably the only person who ever did. When I hit 14, I struck out on my own to find my father, who had left us for the sea. When I found him, I was mad at him, but learned to accept him. But after a few days aboard his ship, I got word that..."

Jack closed his eyes tight, clearly in pain. Elizabeth moved closer and rubbed his back comfortingly. She'd never seen Jack so emotionally pained before. No wonder he didn't speak much of his family. Her hand tightened around his, persuading him to go on.

He opened his eyes and continued, "I got word that my mother was very ill. My dad immediately set course back to Shipwreck Cove, but I couldn't bare to see my mother in that condition. So I struck out on my own, and decided to make an honest living, something I had never been taught on account of being raised by pirates. I got a job with the East India Trading Company, and worked my way up to becoming a privateer and Captain of my own ship."

He stopped suddenly, apologizing for going off track, but Elizabeth forced him to continue.

He smiled at her enthusiasm and continued, "I was given command of a vessel called The Wicked Wench. I was assigned to a mission by the head of the Company, Cutler Beckett, to transport cargo from Africa to Cuba. But after I learned that the cargo was a group of 100 slaves, I couldn't bring myself to complete the task. I set them free in Haiti instead."

"But Beckett found out, and gave me this, branding me a pirate forever." He pulled up his sleeve to reveal the "P" that had been seared into his flesh. Elizabeth tentatively traced it with her fingers and looked up at his eyes. Had he been branded a pirate simply for doing the humanely right thing? How awful and unfair.

"He sent a fleet to attack me and my ship. They peppered us with cannon fire and debilitated the vessel. I was able to save the crew and myself, but my ship sank. She was my everything. Beckett thought he had punished me enough by taking the one thing I cared about away from me and he was right. I would have preferred death over the loss of my ship. And so I made a deal... with the devil."

Elizabeth looked up at him shocked, a million questions plastered across her face.

"I made a deal with Davy Jones. He raised my ship from the depths in near perfect condition, except for the permanently charred hull. So I named her the Black Pearl. And in return, I sold my soul to him." Jack finished quickly, hoping she would not have heard the last part, but she did.

Elizabeth grabbed his face and yelled, "What do you mean you sold your soul. What was the deal?!" Jack sighed remembering his debt to the captain of the Flying Dutchman.

"I was only 15 at the time. I was ignorant. I made a deal that after captaining my ship for 13 years, I would provide 100 years of service aboard the Flying Dutchman. And if I refused, his horrible Kraken would find me, and take me and my ship down to Davy Jones' Locker."

Elizabeth shuddered. She had read stories about Davy Jones and his Kraken. They were the most horrid fate one could bring upon himself. And Jack had unwittingly done so.

"Elizabeth," he said facing her, dead seriousness showing on his face.

"There is something you must know. I was 15 when I made the promise, and I am 28 now. My time is up, and the Kraken is after me. That's the real reason we haven't left port. I'm not safe at sea, and neither is anyone accompanying me. Now that you know of my plight, it is your choice if you wish to remain with me."

His voice was solemn and saddened as he finished. He had turned away, as if he knew her response would be too much to bear. Elizabeth looked at him lovingly, as lovingly as one could look at a person. She took her hands and caressed his face tenderly. He turned to face her surprised by the gesture but leaned into her touch. Without warning, she brought him closer and placed her lips on his in a soft kiss.

The kiss lasted a few seconds before deepening. Elizabeth pushed her tongue at the part between his lips, asking for entrance. He eagerly accepted her and she slid her pink muscle into his mouth. She explored his mouth, tasting every bit of it. He tasted like rum and the sea and something that could only be described as Jack Sparrow.

At this point, Jack had slipped his tongue into Elizabeth's mouth as well. She tasted divine to him. She tasted of the same vanilla, rum and sea mixture he had tasted on the fork but it tasted even more amazing when it was purely her. Their tongues began battling each other for who could stay in the other's mouth longer, but the fight subsided into a dance.

Only when the need for air became absolutely necessary, did the pair break the kiss. Elizabeth looked confidently into Jack's black eyes which conveyed the purest form of joy and hopefulness there was. And the smallest smile on his lips said even more.

"You said that as long as I stay with you, I will always laugh," she said cupping his face, "I'm not ready to stop laughing." Jack leaned deep into her hand. He looked up at her and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, pulling her close to his body. She wound her arms around his neck.

"I love you, Elizabeth," he whispered nuzzling his head into her neck. Elizabeth gasped at his words and felt tears roll down her cheeks. She buried her face into his oddly soft dreadlocks.

"I love you too, Jack," she whispered. They rose up and looked into the eyes of the other person.

"I should get to bed," Jack said pointing to a ratty mattress on the other side of the room. Elizabeth spied the mattress and frowned. As he got up to go, she held his wrist and pulled him back down.

"Sleep with me tonight," she whispered, gripping his shoulders. Had this been any other woman, they would have been sinning very quickly. But between the two of them, there were no sinful intentions. They just wanted to be in each other's secure embrace. She was already in her night gown, but Jack still had to get changed.

Elizabeth slid his coat off his shoulders and tossed it away. Bending down, but not taking her eyes off of his face, she pulled his boots and weapons away and tossed them aside with the coat. She grasped the bottom of his shirt, knowing that Jack liked to sleep without it, and tugged it out of his pants. He raised his arms and helped her pull the fabric off him. He remembered how embarrassed he'd been this morning, to be in front of her like that. But now, he couldn't have been more comfortable.

The two them crawled up the bed and tucked themselves under the covers. Jack turned towards Elizabeth and Elizabeth turned towards Jack. They moved closer to each other until Elizabeth was tucked in between Jack's chest and arms. One of her hands was tangled in his hair while the other one rested on his chest. Jack's arms surrounded Elizabeth and his hands rubbed her back soothingly. This was the most delightful position either one had ever been in.

"Good night Jack," Elizabeth said, with a simple and slow kiss.

"Good night Elizabeth," Jack said, after they broke the kiss.

After one last snuggle, the couple drifted off into a truly blissful sleep. One that had been delayed for far too long.

~•~

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: PG-13 to R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: People, I am desperate for reviews, follows, or favorites. I have got to know what people think. Please, please, please, pretty please with rum on top, review! Okay, now that I got that out of my system, they finally admitted their true love for each other, but in the words of Shakespeare, "The course of true love never did run smooth." I'm going got be mean and descriptive for the future challenges the couple has to face, hence the R rating. And for some other reasons(hehehe). Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Summary: Jack and Elizabeth said that they loved each other, but were they sure about that? Meanwhile, visitors with bad intentions keep popping up. Will this couple stay strong, or break apart before they even join?

~•~

"Mr. Turner, I suggest you listen to my proposal," Beckett said calmly, pouring some wine into a shot glass. He handed it to the agitated Will standing next to him.

"What kind of proposal," Will questioned skeptically. He drained the glass and handed it back to a smirking Beckett.

"As you well enough know, even if you happen to find your fiancé, should you return here, you will both be hung for aiding a wanted man. But if you find Jack Sparrow, which I know you will, you must do either of the two, to ensure your and your beloved's life." Beckett walked out onto the terrace and Will followed.

"You must either obtain the compass that Sparrow keeps on his person at all times and bring him here to be hung... Or you must ensure his death yourself and still return with the compass." Will stood there contemplating his task. He had saved Jack before, so it just didn't seem right to seal his death. But Elizabeth and his own life were far more important than that of a pirate he had an uneasy friendship with.

"Alright, I'll ensure Jack's death and give you his compass," Will stated reluctantly, looking at his feet. Beckett smiled evilly.

"Good. Then you can start immediately." He dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Will traipsed out of the room, trying to figure out his mission.

"Sir, do you believe that Turner will get the compass and kill Sparrow?" Mr. Mercer asked watching Will exit. Beckett smirked and sucked in another shot.

"Mr. Turner may be a skilled swordsman, but when it comes to the art of bargaining, he will not know how to evade his task. I'm sure his love will blind him and he will indeed betray Jack Sparrow." Beckett and Mercer chuckled and went back to finishing the map on the white wall of his office.

~•~

Will started his search for Elizabeth that afternoon at the docks. He met some sailors on a ship called the Keeper and they told him about a dress they found on there a few days ago. They rambled about some ghost, but Will quickly figured out that it must have been Elizabeth's.

Her location became clear to him when the sailors mentioned that the "ghost" had written the word "Tortuga" in fire on their deck. He was sure that she had gone to find Jack, probably because he was the only person she knew outside of Port Royal.

"I suspect some of your crew jumped ship there," Will said calmly, showing no interest whatsoever.

"Aye, a young, timid lad. Don't know his name but he was missing when we set sail again. Taken by pirates most likely," the captain explained and Will smirked.

"Or left with them willingly," he muttered under his breath so no one could hear him. Will had then persuaded them to take him to Tortuga.

When they told him that they would set sail in the morning, he insisted that they set sail immediately. He wanted to be there by the next morning. He wanted to see Elizabeth and get to the bottom of this mess without delay. Plus it would give him more time to figure out how to get Jack's compass... And how to kill him.

~•~

Jack woke up the next morning to a slight movement beside him. He opened his eyes and smiled to see Elizabeth snuggled into his chest. He lowered his head and placed a small kiss on her forehead, to which she awoke.

"Sorry luv, did I wake you?" Jack asked as Elizabeth looked up at him.

"Yes, but I'm glad you did," she said before pulling him into a kiss. It resembled a tamer version of the one they'd shared last night. Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her on top of him. She broke the kiss and began tracing his face with her fingers. She began placing kisses on his jaw and neck. She nipped and sucked at the skin, making Jack groan at her touch.

She sighed and pulled away saying, "I can't Jack." He looked up at her, suddenly shocked. Why did she stop? Did she not trust him? Jack sat up and looked at her questioningly, and all he got in return was a sigh and a shake of her head.

Before he could ask her anything, she said, "Even though I left our marriage, I'm still Will's fiancé. I can't be so intimate with another man." Jack took his hand and tilted her chin up to look at him.

"Elizabeth, I thought you said that you loved me. Did you not mean it?" He asked, hurt inching its way into his chest. She pushed his hand away and climbed out of the bed. He was too bewildered to follow and just sat still, not even turning to look at her.

"I don't know if I meant it Jack. I don't know anything right now. I don't even know if I want to be around you right now," she said sharply, before marching out of the room. Jack couldn't even move, he doubted that he could still breathe. He couldn't believe it. After he had admitted his love for her, he was so uncertain of her response. But after she said that she loved him back, he couldn't have been happier.

Now, he wasn't able to understand anything. Had she thought he'd been lying? Had she been lying and just been caught in the moment? Did she think he was trying to seduce her into bed? He hadn't done that. Even though he'd had an amazing opportunity to do so, he hadn't. Why had she been so intimate with him if she didn't even want to be near him?

"Damn woman," he cursed under his breath as he got up and dressed. He stepped out of his cabin and spotted Elizabeth standing at the side of the ship, staring out at Tortuga. He walked over, simmering down when he noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Elizabeth?" He asked meekly, a tone that surprised him, but he was too concerned about her to care. She looked up at him and scowled.

"I thought I said I didn't want to see you," she snapped, wiping her tears away. Jack lowered his head, embarrassed that he was being treated in such a manner.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'll just leave you be then," he said quietly, turning around to leave. He felt a hand on his wrist, and turned around to see Elizabeth staring at him.

"Sorry Jack," she said, barely audible. She pulled him back towards her, making him lean on the rail too. He didn't know what to say now, or if he should say anything at all. She placed her small palm on his, covering about three quarters of it. She clawed her fingers into the spaces between his and held him so tightly, he could feel his fingers crack.

"I just don't know why I told you that last night. I'm not even sure what I want, let alone who I love. I hope you can understand," she said, softening her grip. Now Jack tightened his grip on her hand.

"I'm sorry too love. It was probably just the wine and the whole backstory talking. I haven't a clue why I said that. I know we're just friends." He picked up her hand and brought it in front of him, making her turn and face him.

"But I hope we can be good friends," he added, bringing her hand to his own face and running it down his cheek.

"Oh Jack, thank you for being so understanding," she said in a relieved and airy voice. She pulled him into a tight hug and he hugged her back, despite feeling slightly disappointed. But he still had faith that she could love him, if not immediately, than eventually.

She released him from the hug and smiled at him for a few seconds. Then she put her hands on the sides of his face and pulled him into a kiss. This kiss was sweet and happy, not like the ones they had shared before, but it was pleasing regardless. Jack put his arms on her hips and she put her arms around his neck. She caressed his nape and he returned it by rubbing the small of her back. They probably would have continued a bit longer, had it not been for the interruption.

"Elizabeth," called a shocked voice from the other side of the deck. The pair broke the kiss, but remained in their intimate position. Jack was more than displeased to see the voice had come from none other than William Turner. Will wore the most shocked and angry face Jack had ever seen before. That was saying a lot, because Jack had a knack for infuriating people.

"Will, it's not what it looks like!" Elizabeth shouted before tearing free of Jack's grip. Jack glanced over at her and caught a glimpse of her eyes. They showed that she didn't really mean it, and that was enough for him. He was pleased inside, but put on an angry, surprised yet scared face, a face he'd put on to fool people many times before.

"Oh really? Because to me it looked like you were sticking your tongue into Jack's mouth, you vixen," he spat back at her, drawing his sword.

"No I didn't! It was just a friendly kiss. It meant nothing. Right Jack?" she stated desperately, turning to Jack for support.

"Aye mate. It really meant nothing," Jack said stepping to Elizabeth's side.

"Oh it didn't look like nothing from here. And don't you dare call me 'mate', you bastard!" He yelled, pointing his sword at Jack's throat. Jack held up his hands defensively and walked backwards, but Will followed him, not removing the sword. They walked all the way back into the cabin through its open door.

As they walked, Elizabeth went behind them and shut the door once they entered, to keep wandering eyes off the dilemma. Will pinned Jack to the wall and pressed the sword flat against his throat. Jack would have retaliated, but anything he could have done would put Elizabeth in harm's way.

"You can't talk your way out of this one Jack... Or find a way to escape," Will threatened, pressing the blade harder against his skin.

"Will, please stop!" Elizabeth cried out, but he wasn't in the mood to listen to her pleas. Instead, he quickly removed the sword from Jack's throat and slashed the left side of his chest.

Jack winced and yelled in pain as blood filled his shirt and dripped down onto the wooden floor. Jack gingerly put his hand up to his chest, and it returned smeared with blood. He was lucky Will hadn't dove any deeper, the cut was right above his heart.

"Will, stop it!" Elizabeth screamed, but that just made Will madder. This time he took a wild swing at Jack's arm, tearing deep into it. Jack fell to his knees. He was in such a bad position, he couldn't stand it. But, he was saving Elizabeth from Will's wrath, so that counted as something, right?

"Enough Will!" Elizabeth yelled once more. That was the last straw for him. He'd always known that Elizabeth had it in her nature to be concerned for others, but he'd also assumed that she would always take his side in a fight. Will pushed all his rage forward. He kicked Jack's chest, and pinned him down with his foot. Then, in one grand motion, he sunk the sword straight into Jack's stomach, but not all the way, stopping when he heard Elizabeth catch her breath.

Jack let out a huge gasp, followed by a cry of pain as the sword hit its mark. Was Elizabeth's safety actually worth this? Of course it was. Elizabeth shrieked his name before falling to her knees beside him. Jack used any energy he had left to push his back up onto the wall behind him. He attempted pulling the sword out but his hands kept on slipping because of the blood that covered them.

"Will, how could you!?" Elizabeth screeched.

"I was being generous. Had I been anything else, he would have been dead in seconds," Will spat back, before storming out of the room. Elizabeth yanked the sword out of Jack's stomach, making him cringe at the sudden surge of pain. She was utterly shocked at the amount of blood that covered it. Getting nervous about how much more there was, she hurriedly pulled off his coat. Her nails tore the fabric of his shirt, and she ripped it to shreds, not caring about its condition.

"Oh Jack, I'm so sorry," she whispered, shocked and nauseated at the extent of his injuries. She smoothed her hand over the gashes that covered his chest and arm, but stopped tentatively as she reached the wound on his stomach. She pulled away and started crying, not knowing what else she could do.

"Lizzie, don't cry. I've been in far worse situations than this. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!" He recoiled as he finished his statement, having stretched the injury of his stomach to far. When she didn't stop weeping, he put his less bloody hand up to her face and rubbed the tears away, though blood still managed to work its way to her cheek.

"If you really want to help me luv, then could you help me to my bed?" He asked, already pushing himself up the wall. Elizabeth shot to her feet and pulled his good arm over her shoulder as a brace. Luckily the bed wasn't far away, so she sat him down fairly quickly. She knelt down and inspected his stomach.

"Jack, there's something still inside you!" She gasped and saw a piece of metal protruding from the bloody hole. She looked scared back at the sword in the ground, and realized, that in her haste, she had failed to see that the blade had broken inside of him. She covered her mouth in shock as her blunder dawned upon her.

Jack brought his own hand down to the gash. Though it stung and ached, he prodded the infliction with his thumb and forefinger, trying to grab the metal. When he finally grasped it, he began pulling it out slow and steadily. Only after he'd pulled it out completely, he became aware of the fact that the blade had in fact pierced an organ, most likely his stomach or intestines.

He felt the pain increase tremendously after removing the tip of the blade. He could feel himself losing more blood by the second, and becoming light headed.

"Elizabeth," he breathed, clutching her arm, "get Gibbs." He fell back into the bed, unconscious. Elizabeth leaned over him and shook his shoulders a few times, in vain efforts to wake him up. When she rose up again, she noticed that her white gown was now stained all over in Jack's blood. Without another moment of thought, she rushed out side to find Mr. Gibbs.

~•~

"Mr. Gibbs!" Elizabeth yelled when she found the old man in a tavern. Lucky for her it was still morning so he wasn't drunk.

"What be the problem, Miss Elizabeth?" He asked seriously, seeing the panic written on her face. As he looked her over, he noticed that her dress was very bloody, and his expression grew more grim.

"It's Jack. He's gravely injured, and he's losing a lot of blood. You're the Doctor of the ship. You're the only one who can help him!" She yelled. She grabbed his hand and practically pulled him back to the Pearl, even though he followed with just as much urgency.

They walked into the cabin to find the sheets drenched in Jack's blood. He was out cold, but he appeared to be getting paler and losing more blood by the minute.

"Dear gods! We have to get him patched up immediately. Get some thread and a needle, and many rags," he instructed. Elizabeth rifled through the drawers and wardrobe before returning with the materials.

She watched nervously as Gibbs dabbed away anymore oozing blood from the wounds. He cleansed them with the booze he found in a bottle nearby and began suturing the tears. He skillfully sealed the sutures of all the wounds, but Jack was still unconscious at this point.

"I've sealed all his injuries but he has lost quite a lot of blood. He can't leave this room, and someone has to take care of him," Gibbs explained as he put away all the tools.

"I'll take care of him," Elizabeth said quickly and without doubt. She owed him that much. He was in this horrible state because of her and her fiancé. Ex fiancé.

"Alright Miss Elizabeth. But I'm going to need you to tell me his condition daily, and tell me if he's feeling any worse." Gibbs walked towards the door but turned around before leaving.

"He has a perforated stomach. An injury of that sort can't be fixed with a mere suture. We are going to have to set sail for a place that Jack may not like, but it is the only way to ensure his life." Elizabeth's face dropped at the statement. Were these injuries really a threat to his life? Had she actually caused him that much trouble?

"He can't eat or drink anything but water. Anything else would risk the injury getting infected. All you have to do is make sure he pulls through until we reach our destination," Gibbs finished, before exiting the room. Elizabeth strode over to the bed and sat beside Jack's limp body. A couple of tears fell from her eyes, but she wiped them away, knowing how much Jack hated it when she cried.

"I'm so sorry Jack. I promise that I'll take care of you and make sure you miraculously survive this attack too." She giggled sadly, trying to lighten the mood, if only for herself. She bent down and placed a kiss in his forehead. She then went over to the mattress that Jack had had brought up for himself, and lay down on it, trying her hardest to float into a nap, to help clear her mind.

~•~

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: PG-13 to R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: Please review, especially those chapter cause I'm trying something new that I wanted in this story. I would love love love any reviews on this from anyone. Ok, I know I took the characters far away from who they are last chapter, but I needed some action. Jack is not the world's most chivalrous gentleman and Will isn't a killing machine. I promise I will be more true to their characters but not when I need some gore and action. Also, Will could get that mad if he found Jack kissing Elizabeth without chaining him to the mast. He is human after all. And Jack could easily kiss Elizabeth, that's in his character. P.s this chapter is definitely rated R(hahaha)!

Summary: Jack is horribly injured and has to be taken to special place to survive. Elizabeth is becoming more pirate by the day, causing new emotions on board.

~•~

It was dark. There was nothing but darkness and silence. Suddenly, there was a laugh, but it was warm and supportive. A flash of white light broke through the blackness. A woman, dressed in a blue satin gown, stood in the middle of it. Jack shielded his eyes but one look at the woman and he knew who it was.

"Mum?" Jack asked as he approached the figure. His mother's black hair flounced on her shoulders. Her tan skin was flawless and her features were sharp, just like his. Her black eyes gazed down at her son and her pink lips smiled warmly. She was the same beautiful Spanish woman Jack remembered. Her name fell beautifully of the tongue, Maria Sparrow.

"How am I seeing you?... Am I dead?" He asked, inspecting his own body.

"No Jackie, but you are dying, and I'm afraid that you won't survive the night," she answered, watching as her son's face twisted into sadness.

"William, stabbed me didn't he? I swear, he hates me," Jack said solemnly, recalling what had happened. Maria's eyes teared, seeing her son so sad.

"Jackie, you're not dead yet, and you just have a perforated stomach," she said soothingly. Jack looked up at her and smirked.

"Even on the brink of death, you always make me smile mum," he chuckled, but quickly became glum again at the mention of death. Maria couldn't stand to see him this way, and decided to come clean.

"Son, I can save you. I can keep you alive for one more week until your crew gets you some help, I just pray it's in time," she explained, and saw the hope return to his eyes. She put out her hands and held the sides of his face. He fell into her hands like putty and she pulled him into a warm embrace. How he had longed to hug his mother. He missed her so much, though he would never admit it. He had an reputation to keep up.

"Goodbye Jackie, and know that I'll never be too far away," she whispered into his ear. He then felt her dissipate around him, and before he knew it, he was surrounded by black once more. He fell down to the floor as powerful surges of pain wafted through his body. He groaned and cursed as the pain became unbearable. He shut his eyes tight to block out the pain, but when he opened them again, he was lying in his bed, in his cabin.

~•~

Jack could feel the cold sweat that formed beads of liquid on his body. He tried to wipe it off his forehead, but groaned at the pain he felt when he moved. Scanning his body more thoroughly, he discovered that he was only in his breeches. He saw that his stomach was wrapped in tight bandage, but his arm and chested had been stitched. They needn't be covered, but Jack knew better than to put strain on them.

He slumped back down and lay in the bed. He attempted using his good arm to grab the bottle of rum from his bedside table, but fumbled, letting the bottle shatter and the amber liquid to spread across the floor.

A snort caught his attention and he realized that Elizabeth was sleeping in his chair, but she was awake now.

"Jack!" Her eyes widened and she dashed towards the bed. She grabbed the captain's head and hugged it into her chest. She was so happy he was okay. He groaned, and she realized that she was crushing his wounds. Her arms abruptly released him, causing him to fall back into the bed.

"Jack are you ok? Did I hurt you?" Elizabeth enquired in a panicky voice. Jack chuckled at her, but it came out hoarse and weak.

"I'm fine, love. But I have to say that Will is good with a sword." Elizabeth frowned when she saw his face grow grim. She put her hands gently on his cheeks and jaw, pulling him towards her. Jack leaned his forehead on hers and she pulled him into an embrace, but gently this time.

"Elizabeth, while I was out, I had a dream. I saw my mother. She told me I was dying, that Will had punctured my stomach or something," he narrated. Elizabeth grimaced. She knew it was true. Tears stung her eyes and she fought to keep them inside, but couldn't. They cascaded down her face hard, thousands at a time.

"Elizabeth, is it true?" He asked, cupping her face with his big palms. She looked up at him and nodded quickly, before breaking down into sobs in his arms. He held her close to his chest and placed his chin on top of her head. He kissed her hair and sighed into it.

"She told me that I wouldn't survive tonight..." He paused when her breathing hitched and she raised her head to look at his. She was absolutely in shock and disbelief. She thought that he would at least have a chance once they got to... Wherever Gibbs was taking them.

"Jack, you can't die! Please tell me you're lying!" Elizabeth cried, clenching onto his shoulders. He smiled and fiddled his fingers through her hair.

"You didn't let me finish. She also told me that she can give me one more week to live. But after that, unless you and the crew can save me, my death is certain," he whispered as he finished the statement. Elizabeth's body sank into Jack's and he held her there for quite some time.

Why? Why does my arrival always harm him? But if I can save him, then he won't die! But if I can't... Elizabeth couldn't finish her thought. She brought her head up and wiped away the tears that still remained on her skin. She ran her hand up Jack's chest, avoiding the wound. She grazed over his neck and fingered his face.

"I promise, that no matter what, I will save you," she promised. Her hands dug their way into his hair, and she pushed her lips onto his own. She knocked them both down so that he was underneath her. She forced her tongue past his barrier and licked the roof of his mouth. Jack groaned at the feeling and brought his own tongue up, entangling it with hers.

One of his arms wrapped around her waist and rubbed the small of her back, while his other hand tangled itself in her blonde waves. She moved her head off him and smiled. She went in for another kiss, but this time it felt more aggressive. She didn't even wait for acceptance before shoving her tongue inside and exploring every inch of the moist cave. She retracted it and bit at his bottom lip, causing it to redden and swell.

Jack let out a moan as she began placing the kisses on his jaw and throat, sucking and nipping at the skin. Last time she'd done this, they had a heart wrenching conversation, but this time it didn't seem like she would stop. She moved down lower on his body and licked and nibbled at his bronzed chest. His wound was still safe, but he wouldn't have cared if it had burst open at this point. He didn't even feel much pain.

He squirmed and writhed as she ran her fingers down his sides and tucked the the tips of them into the waistline of his trousers. She nuzzled her head into his chest and rubbed her nose against it.

"Jack?" She whispered into his chest. The coolness of her breath sent a shudder through Jack's body. She moved up to his throat again and sucked on the flesh beside his Adam's apple. She pulled it in, licking and nipping it aggressively before releasing. She traced one finger around the brand new mark on his skin. Anything he'd previously received from wenches dulled in comparison, but it seemed that he hadn't received any in a while.

"I want you," she breathed into his ear. She bit his lobe and tugged at it, eliciting another groan from Jack. She took that as approval and moved her hand down to his pants. Her palm cupped around the bulge forming underneath and gave it an affectionate rub.

"Elizabeth... Please..." Jack whimpered as she continued to rub him through the coarse fabric. She moved on top of him and sat on her knees. Her fingers meticulously popped open the first button. Then, even slower, the second.

"Lizzie... Faster!" He cried. Elizabeth laughed. How could such simple arousal bring a man like Jack to his knees? He is so easy. She opened the third and final button, and pulled his pants down just enough to reveal his manhood. Elizabeth's eyes brightened.

She had done this once before with Will, who was the average male, and Jack was definitely bigger than him. But not grotesquely huge, he was just perfect. She placed her fingers at the base and lightly stroked his erection. Jack grunted and clenched the sheets. He was so sensitized and she just continued teasing him.

Her fingers wrapped around the bottom of his member and she began moving her hand up and down his shaft. Pleasure washed through Jack and he fought to keep his eyes on the beautiful woman in front of him. Once she reached the head she slid all the way back to the base and took the top half into her mouth. She swirled her tongue on the tip and gently sucked on it. Jack propped himself up in his elbows and let his head hang back.

Does she know what she's doing to me? Damn, Lizzie is amazing. Not just sexually, in every way. But that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy her pleasing abilities, right? He thought as she continued to stroke him up and down. Elizabeth took as much of him as she could into her mouth, and she could fit almost all of it, and began pushing him to the back of her throat. Jack could feel the warm wetness of her mouth coat his entire member.

Just when he thought she couldn't please him anymore, her hand reached down and grabbed his scrotum, softly pinching and tugging at the loose skin. Jack fell to his back, unable to stand the pleasure, and began gyrating amongst the sheets. Her mouth then left his shaft, though her hand continued pumping, and moved down to his testes. She pulled one of them into her mouth and sucked and lapped at the round organ.

"Elizabeth..." Jack moaned, bringing his hands up to his head and grabbing at his dreads. She released the one in her mouth and moved to the next one, treating it to the same pleasure. She swiped her tongue over them for one last time before moving back to his manhood. She lubricated it very nicely before releasing his privates altogether.

She got off the bed and pulled his pants completely off his legs and threw them onto the floor. She then crawled up and lay on him once more. Her cotton dress rubbed against his member, and Jack hissed. She looked up at him, worry hiding the lust in her eyes.

"Lizzie, please don't let me be the only one exposed," he asked, before hissing again as she shifted on him. She smiled mischievously and got off the bed. Her feet danced across the floor and she stood with her back to him, a few feet from the bed. Her gown slid off her shoulders revealing creamy, sun kissed skin. The fabric rolled down her body and pooled at her feet. She stepped out the of the puddle of cloth, her back still turned to Jack.

Jack admired her physique. Her frame was a perfect hourglass shape. She was a golden tan color, thanks to her days at sea. Her back was smooth and flawless and her arse was tight and firm. Her legs were amazing. They were long and dainty, yet strong and dangerous, and to him, that was perfect. She slowly turned around and faced Jack, arms at her sides.

Jack gaped at the beauty in front of him. Her hazel eyes seemed to dance in the lantern light. Her rosy lips curved into the smallest smile. He sat up straight and gazed at her, entirely mesmerized. She glided back to the bed and took a seat by him. Her hands slithered up his back and clutched his shoulders. She pushed him back down and lay on top of him again. But Jack slid his arms around her and flipped their positions so he was on top.

"You can't do all the work Lizzie," he muttered into her ear, nipping at it softly. Elizabeth moaned in excitement, music to Jack's ears. He placed his lips onto hers and gently parted them to allow his tongue inside. He skated it through her mouth before escaping and traveling down her shoulders and neck. His head reached her breasts and stopped.

He rubbed his cheek over one of the round treasures. He took one into his mouth and kneaded the other with his hand, massaging and pinching the perk nipple. He tenderly sucked on the one in his mouth, nipping and licking at the soft skin. He continued his ministrations and switched them up, treating both sides, evoking many moans from Elizabeth.

He began trailing kisses down her cleavage and flat stomach, stopping at her groin. She smiled down at him and he continued. He massaged her folds in circular motions and gently rubbed her clit. He suddenly inserted a finger into her opening and felt her tighten around it. He carefully inserted another, and slowly began moving them. Elizabeth brought her hand down and grabbed his wrist.

He thought that she was going to pull him away, but smirked when she pushed him deeper inside. He removed his fingers and positioned himself on top of her. She rested her hands in his shoulders and he kissed her passionately.

"Elizabeth, are you sure you want to do this?" He asked tentatively. Elizabeth could feel his manhood twitching against her thigh, aching for her touch. She was astounded that he would even consider her opinion at this point. She brought her head up and seized his lips into a strong kiss, giving him permission. Without even breaking the kiss, Jack thrust into her opening in one fluid motion.

"Jack!" Elizabeth squeaked out. Her nails dug into his shoulders, leaving crescent moon shaped markings. She gasped as he pulled out and pushed back in slowly, but steadily, trying to find a pace. The shock began to subside, and Elizabeth felt the pleasure return. She crooned his name, and bucked her hips to meet his. He smiled and began to thrust harder and faster. She found that she could keep up with his rhythm quite well.

She tilted her head back, feeling a tight knot tie in the pit of her stomach. Jack took this opportunity to trail some marks down her tender skin. Elizabeth moved her head forward again to claim his lips in a bruising kiss. She bit at his lips and sucked them into her mouth, not willing to release him. When she finally did, his naturally pouty lips were swollen and bruised.

"Jack...Jack!...JACK!" Elizabeth screamed as the knot in her stomach released. Her orgasm shook her body and she dug her fingers as far as she could into Jack's back. He hissed from the feeling of the blood she was drawing.

"Eliza... Luv I... Elizabeth!" He roared as he felt his own release. He thrust forcefully into her one last time before collapsing on top of her. They both lay there panting for a good minute, before Jack rolled off Elizabeth, pulling out of her. She rolled onto her side and and held his shoulder, turning him over to face her. His eyes gazed into hers and a smile spread across his face. She answered his smile with a smirk, moving her hand to his jaw.

Her fingers played with the braids of his beard, slowly moving up to his lips. As she parted his mouth slightly, he pulled her fingers inside with his tongue and began sucking on them. Elizabeth gasped then moaned as he allowed her to move her fingers against the hot flesh. She pulled away and ran her hand down his chest, stopping at the bandaging of his stomach.

"I'm sorry Jack," she whispered. Jack looked at her confused, not expecting that statement. He felt her hand tenderly pat and rub the bandaging and he smiled.

"It's not your fault Lizzie," he said in a hushed tone, rubbing her cheek with the back of his hand. His knuckles grazed the area underneath her eye, and he frowned when it returned wet.

"Elizabeth," he murmured. He leaned his head in and caught her lips in a sweet and comforting kiss. When he pulled back he sat up, groaning in discomfort as his bandaging shifted. He hadn't realized how much strain he'd actually put on it. Elizabeth shot up immediately and placed her palms on his chest and back, supporting him. He turned his head to face her and leaned his forehead on hers, prompting her to move her arms up and around his neck.

"An injury is an injury, but your not mad at the injury. You are merely mad at the person who caused the injury. Thus I can't possibly be mad at you. You were the cause that caused the causer to cause the injury and by being the cause of the causer you are the injury not the cause. I can't be mad at the injury and thus being so I can't in any possible or practical way be mad at you. Savvy?"

Elizabeth looked at him wide eyed and confused, causing Jack to smirk and let out a chuckle. She rolled her eyes and, without think twice, crashed her lips onto Jack's and pinned him down in the bed.

"Jack, you have to learn to speak more clearly or your going to find yourself in this position a lot," Elizabeth chimed as she ghosted her lips above his. Jack groaned as she bit his bottom lip. Once she released him, he sat back up and next to her.

"Well if that's my punishment, then I have to be more confusing than ever," he quipped. Elizabeth faked an appalled expression and smacked his good arm. She looked up at his grinning face once more before standing up and picking her dress up off the floor.

"I should get going. It should be well into the morning by now," she said as her gown slipped over body. Jack pouted at the loss and reached down for his own breeches. As he buttoned them up, he felt Elizabeth's hands rub up his back.

"Do you want anything," she asked in an airy voice, slipping her arms over his shoulders and clasping them in front of his chest. He cocked his head to look at her.

"I'd like someone to help me with my clothes," he said mischievously. Elizabeth scoffed and went over to his wardrobe. She rifled through trying to find a clean(ish) shirt and waistcoat. Victorious in her search, she pulled the shirt over his head and tucked the bottom into the waistline of his pants. She pulled the waistcoat around him and buttoned it up, but not all the way, just as he had worn it on the day he'd saved her from drowning at the fort.

"Now that that's done with, would you like anything to eat?" She questioned settling down beside him. He turned towards her and pouted.

"Why can't I come with you?" He whined, resting an arm on her shoulder.

"You know very well why Jack. It's just not safe," she explained, standing up and walking towards the door.

"But I have a definite week to remain alive. I can do anything I want then," he added, standing up and pulling in his boots and weapons belt. He followed Elizabeth out the door and realized that they were sailing.

"Where are we going?" he asked looking around the deck as if he'd never seen it before.

"Somewhere to save you. I don't know exactly where but I'll ask Gibbs," she answered quickly. She hurried up to the helm and talked to the old man for about two minutes before returning.

"He said we were going to visit some mystic. Her name was...uh...Tia... Tia Dalma," she proclaimed, proud that she remembered the strange name.

"What! We are going to visit Tia Dalma!?"

~•~

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: Sorry for the late update, got really busy with school. Ok guys, 7 chapters and one review hardly seems fair. It's kind of getting lame. Please review. I'm begging here! Yay, I finally got some "content" in this story. Trust me it helps move the story along, or else it would get boring. Listen, I don't know if anyone reads these author's notes, but I am in desperate need for reviews. Without them, I don't know if you all like the story or not, or if I should even keep writing. So please, please review. Now without further ado, I present chapter 7. Hope you enjoy!

Summary: Jack seems antsy about their new heading, sending Elizabeth into spirals. A stowaway is hidden to add heat to the already kindling fire.

~•~

"Jack, what's wrong?" Elizabeth inquired, startled by Jack's terrified and frustrated expression. Without answering, he stormed up to the helm and began yelling at Gibbs. Elizabeth ran after him, curious to know more about this sensitive topic.

"Is there something the problem with that head of yours, Mr. Gibbs!?" Jack shouted slamming his fist onto the railing in front of the wheel. Gibbs turned around and realized that Jack was up and walking around. He immediately scowled, and practically ordered his captain to go back to his cabin and rest.

Jack feigned outrage but again displayed composure, stating repeatedly that as captain, he could do as he pleased. Gibbs ultimately submitted and Jack took the chance to again interrogate him on their heading.

"Jack, I know that visiting Tia ain't the most pleasing thing for ya, but your life is on the line this time around," Gibbs persuaded. Jack threw his head back in an exaggerated sigh of defeat.

"Gibbs, I know what is at stake. But is going to her the only possible, feasible, plausible, imaginable way?" He begged, desperately hoping for another solution. When the man nodded solemnly, Jack let out one last sigh. He quickly provided his consent and trudged back to the main deck.

As soon as his feet hit the deck, Elizabeth was at his side. He could see all the forms of curiosity and anxiety cover her face. He smirked and, much to her surprise, made his way to the netting used to reach the crow's nest. Though it was slightly painful to climb the ropes, Jack was more than willing to tolerate it for some privacy.

He found Marty keeping watch and dismissed the small pirate, who eagerly leapt away from the structure. Jack cradled himself on the right side of the nest with a blanket. He was exceedingly glad that they kept supplies up here. The chilly morning breeze blew forcefully at him, sending a series of shivers through his body.

"Jack?" Jack turned his head slowly to see that Elizabeth had followed him up. He sighed and rolled his eyes. She obviously didn't understand his demanding need for privacy, as she settled down across from him.

"Lizzie, remember when you once told me that a person has personal activities due for himself. Well this was supposed to be one of those times..." Jack started, but couldn't bring himself to finish when he saw Elizabeth shivering. She hugged herself tightly, rubbing her dainty hands up and down her arms for warmth.

"Here, use this," he said, holding out the blanket to her. He smiled as she bundled herself up in the cloth, but his admiration was short lived when the wind bit at his own body. Elizabeth picked up on this, and stood up, walking over to sit beside him. Her arm slung over his far shoulder and, once he fastened the blanket around them with his own hand, slid back to hug the arm closest to her.

"Jack, why are you so tense? What's wrong?" Elizabeth inquired, nestling her head on his chest. She felt him stiffen, but pressed him regardless. Jack sighed and decided to give up his bearings.

"Tia Dalma and I have a bit of a history. We had a short affair, but it was only to cover needs, nothing more. But she is an unpredictable and untrustworthy witch. When I go there with a problem, she indeed helps me out. But it seems to be a recurring fact, that every time I go there, I come back with another problem and have to fend for myself."

Jack's face fell at the memories of countless occasions in which said problem occurred. By his account, there were far too many. Elizabeth pulled back, searching his face for some sign of jester, but found none. This was an actual ill boding situation they were heading into, something she was more than displeased with.

"Tia is a woman who speaks of love as power. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage," he said pensively, contemplating plans of outwitting the mystic. Elizabeth showed contempt toward the statement, shrugging the quilt off her shoulders and moving to her feet.

"Jack I already told you that I'm going through a lot right now. I can't decide something as great as loving somebody at the moment," she said resolutely. Jack looked up at her, a confused frown pasted to his features. He jumped up abruptly, knocking the blanket into a pile of cloth at their feet.

"Then what about this morning? Why the hell would you do that if you weren't sure!?" He shouted, prompting Elizabeth to shush him.

"I would think you of all people should understand that sleeping with someone isn't the same as loving them!" She hissed, unable to keep her anger hidden. As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Jack stared at his boots, hands clasped tightly behind his back. His eyes returned to hers, locking with her gaze. His normally jovial orbs seemed cold and distant, sending a chill through Elizabeth's spine.

"So am I to understand that you are not going to help me with Tia?" He asked dryly, no emotion whatsoever. Elizabeth attempted to hide her disappointment in his tone.

"I mean... I would...but...just not in this...particular...format," she managed to explain. Jack nodded, facing the sea, away from her. Then, without another word, he climbed down the rigging, landing on deck with the stealth of a cat. His boots only began to make a sound as he descended the stairs, followed by a loud click as he slammed his cabin door shut.

"Ugh, he is insufferable!" Elizabeth complained as she kicked the lump of cloth on the floor of the nest. She sank down, unraveling the quilt, bundling herself in the fabric. Though it was coarse and slightly itchy, Elizabeth welcomed the embrace of the blanket as if it were the only solace she'd receive. Elizabeth felt her mind cloud with recollections of her latest conversation with Jack. Everything she'd said had been true, but only as far as her knowledge would allow them to be.

She didn't know what she wanted, that part was true. The compass was proof, as it only ever spun in random directions. But loving somebody, that was something different, something special. A feeling you don't receive from anyone else. She didn't need a magic compass to know to whom she owed this feeling, but she may have needed it to admit that fact to herself. Pondering over the great debacles in her life, Elizabeth found, was the best way to slip into a slumber. The only way to achieve some semblance of mind in an otherwise chaotic life.

~•~

Jack sat at his desk, slumped over some maps, that proved to be the most ineffective method of distraction. Every landform and name he spied on the paper reminded him of the woman currently asleep in the crow's nest.

"This used to work," he complained under his breath, grabbing his oddly full bottle by the neck. He pulled a long swig, allowing the familiar burn of the rum to run down his throat. He sighed, glaring at the already half empty carafe.

Why is she so complicated!?

Pull a swig.

Why am I so damn stupid when it comes to her!?

Pull another swig.

Why did she sleep with me if she doesn't bloody love me!?

Pull.

Why the hell do I love that terrible she-devil!?

Crash!

The bottle went flying towards the door, having served its purpose. Jack continued his viscous cycle of questions and swigs, until his cabin was littered with broken pieces of wet glass. He felt a tad calmer after about eight bottles had been tossed away, leaving him drowsy and wobbly. He wasn't at his worst, but he had drank more than his normal quantity.

The drunk captain staggered through the cabin, hearing the fragments crunch beneath his boots, but paid them no heed. He only longed for the scent of the sea to sting at his nostrils, allowing him to regain a certain level of sobriety. After a troublesome journey to the door, Jack leaned against the wood with his full weight. Half minded, his hand twisted the doorknob, sending his body flying out of the cabin and onto the deck.

"Oh bloody hell," he cursed, picking himself up and straightening his effects. He held onto the railing with a tremendously tight grip, not favoring the idea of toppling down the stairs. His vision began to split, making it impossible to know which staircase was real enough to climb. He involuntarily leaned forward, forcing him to grip a higher step. He never felt this way when he was merely intoxicated. Something was wrong.

"Mr. Gibbs!" He managed to call out, feeling himself losing air. He panted heavily, waiting for some sort of response. When none came, he decided to muster another call. Before he could decipher what he was saying, his vision blurred near to the point of not being able to tell light from dark.

"Elizabeth!" He choked out with as much volume as his laboring lungs would allow him to exhibit. His knees buckled, sending him down onto the planks with a thud. His arms supported him for only a few moments before giving out themselves. His head hit the edge of the step he was gripping, sending a ringing through his ears. Through the deafening resonance, he made out the sound of rushing boots headed in his direction. His bleary eyes traced out a silhouette of a man, before surrendering to blackness.

~•~

Will stood in front of Jack's limp body, accessing to ensure that he was indeed unconscious. Once he was satisfied with his research, he began stripping Jack of his effects, keeping his eye out for one in particular. He couldn't believe his luck. Jack blacking out when he was the only one around, presented him with the perfect opportunity to complete one part of his mission: steal his compass.

Will pulled Jack up by his nape, pulling his jacket from his shoulders. Once the garb came off, Will let Jack's head fall back into the stairs with a thud. He was startled by the sound, checking to see if anyone had heard. He face palmed himself when he noticed blood trickle down Jack's cheek.

"Great, now people are going to get suspicious," he muttered angrily, rifling through the coat pockets in search of the device. When nothing was found, he tossed the coat to side. He elevated Jack's midsection and began unbuckling his belts, which both held many effects. Will smirked to himself at all the new nicknames he'd receive had he been caught in the act. As if he needed more than what Jack already called him.

"Come on, where is that bloody compass?!" He hissed in a hushed tone, aggravated that his search proved fruitless. He heard footsteps on the deck above him.

"Jack!?" A feminine voice called out.

"Jack, where are you?!" The female was approximately at the top of the stairs. Will recognized the voice as Elizabeth. His heart began to palpitate, and he began combing through the belts for something else. He dropped the belt on the ground, running away from the scene to his hiding spot in the galley, a dagger in his hand.

~•~

Elizabeth's boots clicked against the wooden planks of deck as she searched for Jack. She had looked everywhere above deck, but he was nowhere to be found. Having given up on her quest above, she proceeded towards the stairs.

"Jack!" She called out, hoping to lure him out before having to face him. Not that she wanted to in the least bit. But the fact that she'd heard him, if only attempting to, yelling out her name, made her feel a desperate urge to ensure his wellbeing. Despite what he told her, she knew his injuries were far to green to be exercised.

"Jack, where are you!?" She called out from the top of the stairs, making one last effort to bring him out. When no result came, Elizabeth continued her way down the stairs, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what lay there. Her feet picked up their pace and slid to a stop beside Jack, giving away and letting Elizabeth fall to her knees.

"Jack! Jack wake up! Jack!" She begged, lifting his head onto her lap. Some of the blood from his temple dripped onto her gown, and while it wasn't the first time his blood stained her clothes, she couldn't help but be appalled by it. She moved his hair away, accessing the injury. Grateful that it was minor, Elizabeth began observing the surrounding area. She spotted Jack's coat, which looked as if someone had torn through it in a rash manner. Momentarily attempting to figure out what had happened, Jack's belt caught her eye. She reached over and pulled the familiar bundle of cloth, leather and tools over. She'd become quite accustomed to the belt, memorizing what all Jack had on his person at all times. She knew the belts so well that, within a few seconds of accessing it, she knew something was missing.

"This isn't right. Something...someone is in the ship," she said out loud to herself. Her mind wracked all possibilities of who could be on the ship, and who could have done such thing to Jack. Though she tried to forbid the thought, her mind settled on one person. William Turner.

Will was the only possible person who could have boarded the Pearl without having been spotted. He'd already been onboard, and nobody had any account if him ever leaving the vessel. It had to be Will, even if she couldn't bring her myself to fully accept it. But after contemplating all possible methods of encounter with the stowaway, Elizabeth settled on pushing the matter off until she could get Jack back to normal.

She leaned her head on the sleeping man's forehead, trying to calm him and herself down, telepathically, if that was possible. A sharp scent hit her nostrils, but it was an oder she'd grown to love. He smelled heavily of rum, more than the light spray that normally surrounded him. It seemed as if he'd been chugging the liquid by the bottle, for a long while too.

A reminder hit Elizabeth like a lightning bolt, of Gibbs's words of advice after he'd treated Jack.

"He can't eat or drink anything but water. Anything else would risk the injury getting infected."

The man's words haunted Elizabeth as her palm hit her face. In all the drama that had been occurring, she'd completely forgotten to inform Jack about his restrictions. Even if he hadn't listened to her, at least she wouldn't have to pin the blame on herself.

She pulled his body up with as much strength as she could muster, just enough to hang one of his arms around her shoulder. She held it with her right hand while the left fastened itself around his waist. Elizabeth made her way carefully back towards his cabin door, which was luckily open. As her feet stepped inside, she heard a crunching beneath her boots, but Jack's dead body weight was too distracting. She dragged him towards the bed blindly, dropping his body onto the bunk at the first opportunity she got.

Moving back to examine the room, she took notice of the precarious shards of glass that covered the floor. Elizabeth sat down on the bed, her face in her palms. He had done this because of her. She knew as well as anyone that Jack drank rum like there was no tomorrow, but only she knew that this wasn't his normal drinking aftermath. Not once had he been known to shatter his bottles, or actually get so intoxicated as to fall unconscious. And she knew, only she knew, that it was all her fault.

She lifted her head and glanced back at Jack. She desperately prayed that he'd be alright, at least until they got to Tia. That was another thing eating at her, Tia Dalma. Gibbs had said that going to the witch was the only way to ensure Jack's life, but it hardly seemed to be the wisest course of action. Jack had been so antsy about the visit, and his restlessness was not very assuring. She sighed and stood up, making her way carefully around the fragments that surrounded her boots. She took one last glance back at Jack, as if making sure he wouldn't disappear, and ran off to find Gibbs.

~•~

Gibbs came in a short while later with some precautionary medical supplies, in case the rum had actually affected Jack's injuries.

"Miss Elizabeth, you were supposed to be the one in charge of his care," he ranted, as Elizabeth tried to keep from feeling guilty, but she was failing miserably.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gibbs. For the hundredth time I said I'm sorry. Now could you please help him," she pleaded, having had enough of the old man's lectures. Gibbs scoffed and began unraveling the bandages around Jack's stomach, given it was the only one that could be affected by the rum. As the final layer came off, Elizabeth could see red liquid oozing from his infliction. She put her hand over her mouth, hoping to suppress her gagging.

Gibbs looked the wound over carefully, determined to not have to touch it. After a few minutes of detailed analysis, Gibbs concluded that the wound was not infected, and the the blood was merely because of the nasty fall he'd undoubtedly had.

"Elizabeth, I'm going to need you to stay beside the captain at all times. Keep him from doing anything stupid. Aye?"

"Aye" After wrapping the wound with some fresh bandages, Gibbs exited the cabin, leaving Elizabeth to wait for Jack to awaken. Her only company was her guilt. She couldn't tell him that she loved him. First of all, she was barely able to assure herself of the fact, let alone admit it to _him_. And secondly, she was worried what a love between the two of them would do to their lives. Surely Jack wouldn't be willing to change his piratical ways for her, and she wasn't even sure if she'd want him to or not. Neither could she give Jack anything he might need or vice versa, considering Jack had probably never had to care anyone other than himself. Even if she did love him, it wouldn't lead to anything. Nothing real.

"Ugh, the bloody room won't stop spinning," a slurred voice complained from behind her. Elizabeth turned around and saw Jack squeeze his eyes open and shut, adjusting to the new light that invaded them. She scooted up the bed and lay down beside him.

"Glad to see you're finally up," she said monotonously. Jack rolled his eyes. Despite all the rum he'd consumed to forget about it, their conversation was still etched in his mind. He hated that he loved her, but he hated even more that she didn't love him back. He sat up straight, noticing that the bindings on his stomach had been replaced.

"Since I'm awake, I should probably go make use of myself. Somewhere I'd be appreciated... or wanted," he muttered the last part, wanting to say it so badly, but not liking the idea of another argument. When no retort came, he decided that he was in the clear. As he attempted to make a triumphant exit, Elizabeth spoke.

"To want and to love are two very different things," she said. It wasn't to him though. It seemed as if she was talking to her own mind, conversing with it as if it were a person. Jack raised his hand and opened his mouth to make some sort of remark, but nothing came out. His eyebrows knitted together and he dropped his arm, gazing down at the floor.

"And sometimes, what you want and what you love are more alike than you think. It's all in admittance to yourself," he added, low in volume. But Elizabeth heard every word he uttered. She didn't make any notion to convey her comprehension. Nor did Jack move a muscle at her silence, he seemed too occupied with his own thoughts. Still maintaining the stillness of sound, Jack left the cabin.

Elizabeth thought about what he'd said. She put her hand on the compass that resided on her belt for the time being. She had no desire to open it, she didn't want to know what she wanted just yet. A little bit of ignorance could go a long way. She fell back into the bed, her hand tightly gripping the compass. It was her only hope at solving her mystery, but she didn't want to immediately. She was going to wait, be patient. She was going to see where this quest took her.

~•~

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: Reviews, Reviews, Reviews! I can't stress how important they are to me. I'm begging you, I need you guys to review! But I am happy I got one from ShellyJ88. Thank you soooo much, you wonderful human. Now that's done, enjoy chapter 8.

Summary: Tia Dalma is helping the pirates, but will Jack's instincts prove to be right? And is she going to receive more than one visitor this trip?

~•~

Elizabeth hadn't moved from the room for about three hours, still lying on the bed with her hand on the compass. Her mind had been wandering to its deepest crevices, examining all her thoughts and hidden emotions. Initially, she'd been trying to figure out what she thought of Jack.

Elizabeth sighed when she thought about that man. That man, who seemed so eccentric and mysterious to everyone else, seemed so...human to her. No one could see Jack Sparrow like that. Even the books she read as a child didn't believe him to be a normal person at all. Most referred to him as mad or constantly drunk, and other demeaning qualities that hardly suited his character. Anyone closer to him would know that it was almost always an act to confuse his foes. Though sometimes it confused her as well.

It never ceased to amaze her how well she knew the pirate, but yet didn't seem to know him at all. That was what made her journey so damn confusing. She couldn't figure him out. She doubted anyone actually could, but being who she was, Elizabeth couldn't take that as a reasonable explanation. She wanted something out of this journey. She wanted to find out what she wanted most, surely. She also wanted to find out who she loved, that much was certain. But what she really wanted to figure out was, who is Jack Sparrow. Not the legendary pirate, or wanted fugitive. No, she wanted to know who the real, human Jack was.

Elizabeth smiled, having finally gotten around to setting some goals for this adventure instead of cluelessly floating about. Her conscience drifted to another part of her mind, and her smile faded. William Turner. She had been such a good friend of his since that day her ship had rescued him from the ocean. She was always so fascinated by him purely because he was such a mystery to her. But he wasn't elusive enough.

Elizabeth was never one to be wooed by the finesse or grandeur of high standing men. That was why she had liked Will. He wasn't accessible as a possible suitor, which made him so appealing. But as a person, Elizabeth had never thought of him as anything more than a dear friend. Occasionally, when she would sneak to the blacksmith shop when they were children, Will had seemed so deliciously forbidden, but that was the extent of it. She'd never wanted a customary or traditional life. She wasn't built for that. She wanted adventure, she wanted freedom.

As soon as those words hit her thoughts, her mind flashed back to Jack. But Jack was still a mystery to her. He was so evasive and charming, even when he wasn't making an attempt to seduce her. When he was, it was downright difficult to resist him, though she had been managing.

But now, she was too broken to fool around, and had in fact pulled him to her instead of merely falling for him. She thought it now to be an incredibly rash decision. But no matter what she told herself about it, she couldn't deny that it felt right. Being with him was the most perfect thing she'd ever experienced. More than mere lust, she felt something real there. But, being Elizabeth, she was far too blinded by her ego to admit that she truly felt something for Jack Sparrow. She didn't want to accept that he was more than a friend or a source of pleasure. And that was her greatest problem, even if she was oblivious to the fact.

~•~

Jack had taken the helm as soon as he'd left their cabin. He couldn't even refer to it as his own anymore, as it technically wasn't. It was their cabin. _Theirs_. He would have loved to be able to say this out loud, but he would have immediately received dirty looks and a sharp slap across the cheek.

He turned his attention back to steering his beloved ship, something that he'd discovered relaxed him, even after the most heated battles, whether with swords or words. He felt so in control, standing behind the wheel, feeling the simulation of control over his life.

Another reason he loved his ship so much. A reason he didn't even reveal to Elizabeth, on account of fearing being seen as insecure, even though he wasn't. He wasn't an insecure, hyper emotional whelp in the slightest, but he accepted that every human needed some way to relieve himself.

So there he was, trying to free himself of all the chaos that whirled around in his brain. He trusted his Pearl to know where she was going even if he wasn't presently in the mindset to steer her. She'd never strayed by will before, and he trusted that she wouldn't ever. His mind wandered to his last talk with Elizabeth, if you could even consider it to be one. The small exchange of words seemed to have a far more long lasting effect.

"To want and to love are two very different things," he muttered to himself. "What on earth had she meant by that?" He racked his mind, considering every single possibility that he came across. Settling on one, he proceeded to further examine the explanation. This definitely had something to do with that blasted compass. It had only ever lead him straight and true, but of late, it seemed to be utterly useless. He could only assume that it was of equal uselessness to her. But what had she meant by love?

Jack hadn't the slightest idea about what love was. Most of his life had just been filled with temporary infatuations, so love had never really been his forte. He knew he loved his mother, he knew he loved the Black Pearl. He wasn't sure what he felt for Elizabeth. There she was again. Haunting him in his thoughts and his dreams.

Elizabeth was definitely not a meager infatuation. If she had been, then he would have given up on her their night on Rumrunner's Island, where she constantly shot down all his advances. But she was different. She was a challenge, a challenge he'd grown fond of further than physical admiration. He adored her attitude and her stubbornness, he respected her more than he did most women, though he thought of himself as a rather respectful man, despite his inaccurate description as womanizer. If anything, it was out of respect for his mother and other wonderful women in his life. They seemed to be the only ones who even vaguely understood him.

Jack gripped the helm tighter and sighed. He wanted to push aside his...stirrings for Elizabeth. He wanted to focus on the task at hand. Rallying together all important thoughts, he tried to prioritize his options. He was going to need payment for Tia.

"What could that witch possibly take from me this time?" He thought out loud, scanning his person for anything seemingly precious. He treasured every single item that was on him. He considered them to be valuable parts of his being. Anything that was part of his attire was out of the question. He surveyed the deck, hoping inspiration would hit, and sure enough it did. He spotted Jack, the monkey named to insult him, scurry about the rigging with Ragetti's eyeball in hand.

"Tia did always fancy the undead," he surmised, having found his prize.

"All hands! To the helm!" He shouted. The majority of the crew, with the exception of those doing important work, surrounded him, awaiting orders.

"We're going to have to catch that pestilent, vile monkey and put it In a cage," he said pointing to where the monkey was leaping about. The crew stared dejectedly at the creature, but nodded and began there quest to seize the nuisance.

5 hours later...

"Captain, the monkey is trapped," Ragetti panted, hands on his knees from the tiresome job. Jack grinned widely. Capturing the monkey did him even more good than shooting the bloody thing.

"Aye, great work men. Feel free to gorge yourselves in the galley. All of you deserve it!" He announced, gaining quite a huge uproar from his crew. They flooded down the stairs to the bowels of the ship, already fantasizing the delicious food to come. Gibbs was about to leave as well, when he noticed that Jack hadn't moved an inch. In fact he hadn't moved for a blasted 8 hours.

"Jack, are ye going to be joinin' us anytime?" He asked, looking back from his spot on the top step. Jack just shook his head and chuckled.

"Not really in the mood mate. A few more hours before we weigh anchor, and I think a bit more time up here'd do me some good," he said, staring out at sea. Gibbs was about to contradict him, but didn't feel it wise to pester his captain any further on the matter. Before long, Jack was alone on deck besides the occasional roar that erupted from the bowels. He'd been doing nothing but figuring out his thoughts, a job he wasn't required to perform often. Having everything jumbled up and spontaneous was a characteristic of his, but sometimes he needed clarity.

He absentmindedly began examining his effects, a hobby that needed just enough concentration to keep the mind busy. He accounted for his ammunition, pistol, cutlass and... his dagger? He felt around for it some more, but quickly realized its absence. Who the hell could have taken it? Jack rubbed his chin and began thinking.

He had it in the cabin, so it went missing after his drinking session. He vaguely remembered everything being present while he was attempting to climb the stairs. So it had to have been stolen after he'd fallen unconscious. He briefly suspected Elizabeth, but immediately dismissed the idea, given that he'd provided her with all sorts of weaponry, mostly his own.

Then clouded memories recollected, producing blurry images and unclear sounds. Heavy footsteps. A silhouette. A man. The only one who'd been around when he awoke was Elizabeth. Could it have been Gibbs or Cotton maybe? No, the man was young and fit, nothing like any of his crew members. A stowaway. It had to be a stowaway. But only one person might have information on said stowaway. Someone Jack'd rather not see at the moment.

Elizabeth.

~•~

Jack stood in front of the door, pondering whether he should enter or not. She could be sleeping, that's why you shouldn't go in. He tried to convince himself in all possible ways that he couldn't go in, where as in reality, he was just a turn of a knob away from facing his greatest confusion. He brought his hand up to the door, but didn't continue to knock. Instead, he quietly set his ring-clad knuckles on the door and let out a heavy sigh of frustration.

"Come in Jack," a calm voice called from the other side of the barrier. Jack pulled his hand away in slight surprise, shifting over his hesitation over entering. Once he made himself slip inside, he saw Elizabeth lying on her back, just staring up at the ceiling.

He dared closer, testing whether she'd acknowledge him. When she didn't flinch, Jack sat down on the bed beside her. She still remained motionless.

"Elizabeth, I need to ask you something," he stated blatantly. She sighed and sat upright. After a significant amount of staring, Elizabeth finally responded.

"Jack, if this is about what we said earlier..." Knowing what she was going to say, and not wanting to hear it, Jack put up his hand. The gesture silenced her immediately. He turned around and faced her squarely.

"I don't need you to explain the point of your words. I do need information though." Elizabeth scanned him skeptically, quirking an eyebrow.

"About what exactly?" She asked rather professionally. Jack sighed and moved his hands down to his belt. As he began undoing the buckle, Elizabeth became slightly nervous, but eased as it was the only item he pulled off.

"Something of mine has been stolen. I can only suspect that there is a stowaway onboard. They must have taken my dagger while I was out," he explained. Elizabeth nodded slowly, an action that gave away more information than she would have liked. Jack observed her behavior, picking up on any details she'd divulge. She was wringing her hands and licking her lips. She knew who it was.

Jack switched tactics in order to be certain that Elizabeth indeed knew who the stowaway was.

"I remember someone coming towards me before I blacked out. It was a man, round our age, seemed nervous." Elizabeth's breathing hitched and she looked at Jack with panic. She definitely knew, and she wanted to protect him. Jack took her hands in his, holding them firmly yet gently.

"Elizabeth, who is it?" She opened her mouth and stuttered a few random syllables, still unsure whether she should betray the stowaway's location. She breathed deeply and looked sadly into his eyes.

"It's Will," she said, barely above a whisper. Jack's brows furrowed, looking towards the ground. Will. The man who nearly killed me, stole my dagger, is now aboard my ship. But he had been heartbroken. Seemed a silly reason to be so rash and violent. But he digressed.

"One problem at a time. We'll deal with Will after we get back from Tia's," he said, getting up and heading for the door. Elizabeth stood up as well, surprised.

"We? You still want me to come?" She asked, genuinely confused. Jack turned back and smirked.

"Just because you said you don't love me, doesn't mean that is the same on the other side," he added, making Elizabeth's tongue go numb. He smirked and and stared at the gaping figure for a bit, before spreading his arms out questioningly.

"Luv, we've been anchored since I came in here. The crew's on deck waiting. Are you coming or not?" He said in an almost pleading tone. Elizabeth snapped out of her trance and nodded. Jack smiled and grabbed her wrist, pulling her out of the cabin.

~•~

The long boat glided through the water without so much as a splash of water against the wood. The bayou-like terrain was definitely the most fitting place for an obeah sorceress such as Tia Dalma. Though Jack had been here enough times in his small life, the place still gave him the creeps.

"Mind the boat," he ordered Cotton, before leaping off the side onto the moist bank. The eerie treehouse was like something clear out of a nightmare. Jack gulped and felt a firm hand in his shoulder.

"I got your back," Gibbs reassured. Jack turned his head slightly while his mouth twisted uncomfortably.

"It's my front I'm worried about," he admitted. Footsteps creaked up the mossy stairs to the front entrance of the hut. Jack had only brought Gibbs and Elizabeth with him on this trip. He wanted only those that he trusted to be around when he met with that witch. Jack hesitated in front of the door for a couple seconds, but didn't bother to knock as he waltzed into the house.

"Jack Sparrow," a freakishly mysterious woman chimed slowly as Jack entered.

"Tia Dalma," he greeted, dodging the jar of eyeballs hanging from the ceiling. The woman glided closer to him and stroked her hand down his cheek.

"I knew da winds would blow ya back my way someday," she mused, twirling his chin braids between her fingers. Elizabeth rubbed her arms, trying to lessen the goosebumps that sprung on her skin. Why did she care who was close to Jack?

"Tia I'm sure you know why I have come here," Jack stated, wanting badly to get the transaction over and done with. Tia nodded and began rifling through her belongings.

"Ya 'ave bayment yes?" She asked over her shoulder.

"Aye," Jack answered. He motioned Gibbs for an object covered in cloth. He pulled the cloth off to reveal Jack the monkey screeching madly at the bars of his cage.

"Look, an undead monkey," he advertised. He pulled out his pistol and pulled the trigger. It had become a frequent hobby of his to shoot the pesky creature. Tia surveyed the monkey for a bit before taking the cage.

"Da bayment is fair. Now ya all need to go to dat room over there." She pointed towards a small bedroom towards the back of the shack. Jack took a few hesitant steps forward, but stopped and looked back to see if his friends were following him. They stood there like stone, as if they didn't hear Tia say "ya _all_ ". He cocked his head impatiently, and they slowly began to follow him.

~•~

The room was dark and damp. A bed sat in the center, an armchair and nightstand to its left, and a table crowded with bottles to its right. Jack surveyed the room, and before anyone could notice, pick pocketed a few articles of jewelry from the nightstand. He continued to prance around the room until Tia came inside, holding many sheets. On top of the pile of cloth sat a vile of green liquid.

"I don't remember you using that one before," Jack said, skeptical about the new addition. Tia set the sheets down on the foot of the bed and motioned for him to sit.

"It is new. It will keep away da scarring," she explained, prepping the area for the procedure. Jack had been in this position enough times to know what he had to do. He began removing all the clothing on his upper body. He tossed them into a pile on the chair and settled down in the bed. Tia worked to undo his bandaging, revealing a ghastly wound. Her fingers grazed it tenderly and Jack winced.

"It is very deep. Dis may 'urt Jack," she warned. Jack nodded, closed his eyes and balled his hands into fists. Tia pulled a small knife out of her dress and placed the tip on the rim of his injury. She began to slide it inside, carving away to make it more accessible. Jack bit his lip, harder with every motion she made, until blood began to drip down his chin. Once satisfied with the exposure of the gouge, Tia began dabbing away at the blood pooling on the new sheets, trying to contain it.

Elizabeth watched the scene uncomfortably. She knew Jack had done this before, but this seemed to be painful even for people watching. She watched as Tia brought the lip of the vile to Jack's wound and tipped it, letting the acidic liquid seep into the open infliction. Jack couldn't hold it in anymore. He hissed and screamed as the astringent medicine stung him inside.

Elizabeth gasped and put her hands to her mouth. Gibbs held her steady, knowing that she would either run to Jack's side or faint in shock. She attempted the former, but Gibbs restricted her actions. The blood had stopped oozing, but Jack seemed far from alright. He was incessantly writhing and twisting painfully of the bed.

Tia steadied him with her hands as she began to redo his bandages. She tied them right around his abdomen, and pressure, if only slightly, eased the pain. Tia took a whit powder from the table and dumped it into her palm. Before Jack couldn't question what it was for, she blew the dust into his face. He coughed for a bit before falling back unconscious.

"Now him won't be able to feel da pain," Tia said as she began cleaning the area. "Ya can take him back when him awakens." She finished dressing Jack and started to collect the bloody sheets.

"With all due respect Miss Tia," Gibbs intervened, "Jack wanted to leave as soon as possible. Tia nodded and Gibbs proceeded to take hold of Jack's legs.

"Miss Elizabeth, hook your elbows under Jack's arms. I can't very well carry him on my own," Gibbs instructed. Elizabeth did as told and helped haul Jack out of the house. With some effort, they managed to make it back to the long boat. As they rowed, all was silent. Cotton and Gibbs were doing all the work, while Elizabeth was supporting Jack's head on her lap.

She stroked his hair and lowered her chin onto his forehead. Her lips planted softly on his skin.

As she pulled away she whispered, "I'm sorry."

~•~

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: Super sorry for the late update! Got really busy with school and only had time to write at like 2 in the morning. But I made it! Reviews have slowly been coming in, and I am forever indebted to every single follower or reviewer of the story. I love you guys! I also made a Sparrabeth fan video on YouTube. I know that there aren't many people who are still obsessed with Sparrabeth but if you read this story, you obviously still love them. So I will put the link down below. Please watch, like, comment and subscribe to my new channel. It was my first video so I promise future ones will be better. And now... Chapter 9

Video link:

/6bGfkfT9ddI

Summary: Elizabeth is very conflicted about her life and that doesn't make life any easier for Jack. And someone's plotting behind their backs.

~•~

"Ugh, this could have been so much easier if you hadn't fallen asleep, you idiot," Will scolded himself as he rowed upriver to Tia Dalma's treehouse. He'd been prying information about the obeah sorceress ever since he'd boarded the Pearl. He was positive that only she could help him with his mission. It was difficult to be alone in the middle of an unknown bayou, but Will had been managing fine. He just had to finish his goal.

"This looks like the right place," he decided, pulling his longboat onto the bank in front of the strange house. He climbed up the stairs, wary of the railing, covered in moss and other repulsive slimes. He opened the door without knocking, searching the area for the witch.

"I believe ya are looking for me, William Turna'," Tia Dalma said, striding from the depths of the hut, Will stepped backwards cautiously. He put his hand on the dagger he'd stolen and assumed a defensive stance.

"How do you know my name?" He inquired. Tia chuckled in a way that both frustrated and frightened Will. Maybe coming here wasn't the best idea.

"I've been expecting ya. You want me to help you in getting Jack's compass yes?" She predicted. Will nodded and relaxed a bit. Tia smiled and gestured him inside. He followed her to a table with a few chairs around it. He sat down stiffly and fiddled his fingers.

"Ya do know I require payment," she hinted. Will nodded and pulled a cross necklace from his neck. He pooled the metal chain into the witch's palm. She acted as if measuring it before putting it into a jewelry box.

"Da payment is fair. Now, how may I be of service to ya?" She asked leaning forward. Will leaned in as well, in a business manner.

"I need your help in doing three things. 1: I need to get Jack's compass. 2: I need to break Jack and Elizabeth apart. And 3: I have to kill Jack Sparrow." Tia looked at him wide eyed. Will maintained a stern gaze, but it faltered when Tia began to laugh.

"Is that all? William dis is child's play. But I do have a way to make it more interesting," she added. Will put his hand to his chin, thoroughly interested in the woman's plans.

"How would you like it, if you broke apart them two, and got Elizabeth to kill Jack." Now it was Will's turn to be wide eyed. He'd never thought of something so underhanded and crafty before. He just knew the parts of his mission. But that was before he came aboard the Pearl. Now, he felt spite towards Jack. He wanted to kill him and make him suffer. What better way to do that than to have Elizabeth do his dirty work for him?

"I'm listening." Tia smiled and began revealing her scheme.

~•~

The Pearl would remain anchored until its captain gained consciousness. So they would be here till tomorrow morning. Elizabeth liked that idea. A little time near land might do her some good. She always seemed way too much like a pirate when at sea. This was a golden opportunity to reconnect with her former self.

"I don't know what to do." That was all she could say. For now, she was completely alone. No one to hug her or kiss her, to tell her that he loved her. Once he awoke, she didn't know what was going to happen. She didn't know what she could say or do, what was right or wrong. Nothing was easy anymore.

"Something the matter Elizabeth?" A feminine voice called from behind her. Elizabeth turned around to see Anamaria standing behind her in the crow's nest. She turned back and tucked her chin between her knees.

"Nothing at all Ana," she lied. Though she didn't know the woman all that well, Elizabeth took some comfort in the fact that she wasn't a lone female on this ship. Ana smiled and sat down beside her. She handed her an apple. Elizabeth hesitated for a second, but then took a large bite out of the fruit. She hadn't eaten all day.

"I know a lot has happened today Elizabeth. More than someone should have to handle." Ana took a bite of her banana and stared off into the moonlight. Elizabeth frowned and sank her teeth into the apple once more.

"Yes, quite a lot has occurred since I left home." Ana laughed, causing Elizabeth's frown to deepen. Ana turned to look at her, and upon seeing her displeasure, lessened her laughter to a gentle smile.

"You do know how much you mean to him, don't you?" Elizabeth was taken aback by the question.

"To who?" She asked, faking ignorance. Feeling her own act falter, she lowered her eyes to the wood of the nest. Ana threw her peel over the side, landing with a small splash in the ocean. She stood up and leaned against the mast.

"You know who," she said factually. Elizabeth also stood up and leaned against the railing across from her.

"No Ana. I have absolutely no idea what I mean to Jack. And he certainly doesn't mean anything to me." Ana scowled at her.

"Denying the truth doesn't make it go away Elizabeth." And with that, she was alone again. Elizabeth's body slumped down against the mast. She leaned her head against the wood and pressed into it, feeling the pressure against her scalp. She didn't want him to mean anything to her. She wanted him out of her head and out of her life. He only ever messed things up. She should have never ran away from home.

But then again, he always did make her feel amazing even in the bleakest moments of life. He never once sold her out or gave up on her. He made it clear that he held some desire towards her, some notion of caring. And what was that last thing he'd said?

"Just because you said you don't love me, doesn't mean that is the same on the other side," Elizabeth repeated to herself. Did he mean that? He couldn't have. It was impossible for Jack Sparrow to actually love someone. He'd probably just said it to get her to go with him to Tia's. But that didn't explain all of his previous advances.

"Damn you Jack Sparrow. You can never leave me at peace."

~•~

Jack had awoken some time ago, but hadn't made an attempt to reveal that to anybody. It helped that no one had come to check on him in this time. He felt tired and just wanted to get some sleep in before sailing for Tortuga tomorrow. But he found that sleep didn't come as easily as it did before. Nothing came as easy anymore. And it was all because of her.

Jack sat up and rubbed his eyes. His body felt sore and weary from the days dealings. He hadn't the slightest desire to get up from his bed. But he also hated being in the confines of his cabin. More than being in the room, he hated that he was alone. He wished Cotton's parrot would fly in through an open window, providing him with someone to talk to. But that wasn't the case. He was all alone.

He pulled the sheets up higher and ducked underneath them, hoping to reach the sweet release that was sleep. But after a few minutes of hopeless trying, he pulled the sheets down again. His body wanted to rest, but his brain just wouldn't shut up, forcing him to crave the feeling of moving around. After a heated battle of brain vs. body, Jack swung his legs over the side and stood up. His entire body seethed in protest to his actions, threatening to topple him over if he dared to move another inch. But he ignored his body's complaints and proceeded towards the door.

"Should be around 3 in the morning," he mumbled to himself, squinting at the light filtering through his windows. He was pleased to find that he was fully dressed. He probably wouldn't have had the energy to do the task by himself anyway. He slipped into his boots and strode out of the suffocating cabin.

~•~

Will was rowing back slowly, taking his time. He was rather tired, and judging from the faint pink light that painted the dawning sky, it was very early in the morning. He'd been up all night with Tia, plotting his master plan. Some parts were not to his liking, but he'd convinced himself that it would all work out in the end. He sighed and rested his arms for a few minutes, before the tedious task of rowing had to be resumed.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a locket. He ran his calloused fingers over the smooth metal heart. He neared the lock, but pulled away, recalling the music that had played when Tia had shown it to him. It was powerful. It could make a person feel emotions they'd never even dreamt of feeling before. But what made this seemingly harmless trinket so lethal, was its manipulative abilities. It had the power to take a person's heart and twist it inside out and back again.

Will shoved the pendant back inside his coat. As he began to row once more, the Black Pearl now in sight, he felt the locket weigh down his pocket. The weight of lost loves, heavy inside. He was ignorant to the length of the effect that the talisman truly had on its victims.

~•~

Jack stood behind the railing, staring into the sea. After a strenuous argument with Gibbs on whether he should be allowed out of bed or not, Jack had retreated to the stern of the ship. He liked this part of the Pearl. He'd come here a lot when he was younger. It was a place that was far out of eye and earshot of anyone else. But it never took away the feeling of freedom that he held so dear.

"I didn't know you liked coming back here," a voice said, disrupting his wanderings. He turned his head slightly to see Elizabeth, then turned back.

"One of my favorite places actually. Really special." Elizabeth nodded and faced the sea as well. She rapped her nails anxiously on the wood.

"Something on your mind Elizabeth?" Jack asked, facing her and leaning against the rail. She snapped out of her thoughts and hastily shook her head. Jack licked his lips and rolled his eyes, waiting for her to admit her pondering.

"I was just thinking about what we're going to do about Will," she lied. She turned to face Jack, confident that he'd believed her bluff. She raised her brows, prompting him to answer. Jack took a second, but then pushed himself off the rail and began moving away. Elizabeth ran after him, turning him around sharply by the shoulder. He winced and held his sore arm tenderly.

"Look Lizzie. I told you that we would deal with him when we have to," Jack said resolutely. But Elizabeth wasn't done.

"But what if he...," she began, but was interrupted by Marty running in between her and Jack.

"Captain! We found a stowaway. That Turner lad is back!" Marty exclaimed. Elizabeth shot Jack an all knowing look. Jack scoffed and followed Marty to the main deck. Sure enough, Will stood there surrounded by Jack's crew. The captain approached the captive with mixed feelings. He was the man who'd nearly killed him just days ago. But he'd also saved his life many times before. And his actions were somewhat justified.

"Captain, what should we do with this imposter?" Pintel questioned, pulling out his pistol. Jack waved his hand down and the crew lowered their weapons. Jack pulled out his own pistol and cocked it. He held the barrel in front of Will's face, but couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. Elizabeth, who'd followed him relentlessly, put a hand on his arm and lowered the gun.

"I know he messed up. But you know as well as I that he is not a threat. And he's our friend," Elizabeth whispered into his ear. Jack sighed and put the pistol back in his belt.

"Dear William here," he said addressing the crew, "is as welcome aboard the ship as any of us. You will treat him as such." Jack turned and headed to the helm. He began plotting courses with Gibbs, and decided to start sailing for Tortuga immediately. The ship lurched and was soon underway towards the pirate port.

~•~

"How long will we spend not talking?" Will asked walking up to Elizabeth. She shook her head and turned to face him.

"Why do you think I left our wedding?" She sighed. Will shrugged and moved closer to her. He put one arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

"Well, given what I saw in Tortuga, I'd say it was because you were infatuated by a no good, rum soaked pirate." Elizabeth broke out of his hold, appalled. Despite how much she wanted to believe that he'd accept her actions as harmless, he didn't seem able to do so.

"Jack and I are nothing serious. I told you that it was nothing beyond a friendly gesture. He could never love anyone. And he doesn't mean a thing to me." Will pulled Elizabeth into an embrace. She resisted at first but then settled into his arms. He placed a gentle kiss on her hair and moved to her ear.

"You shouldn't waste your time with a man who doesn't love you Elizabeth," he whispered persuasively into her ear. Elizabeth felt herself slowly falling for his musings. In her departure from reality, she failed to notice the delicate tune that wafted around them. The hypnotic music emitted from the metal heart that Will had skillfully opened during the conversation.

~•~

Jack watched the scene unfold from the other side of the ship. He did think he'd have a problem with having Will on board. But now he felt as if letting the whelp stay was a mistake. Watching Elizabeth in the arms of that man made his entire body incommodious. He had to speak to her. But not on the Pearl. That wasn't going to solve anything. No. He'd have to talk to her somewhere else. Preferably with something to sugarcoat the communion.

He began to think of all possible places in Tortuga that he could take her to talk. He smiled to himself as a scenario formed in his head. They would be in Tortuga before sunset, should the wind remain on their side. Jack decided that he was going to talk Elizabeth, and figure out all of this uncertain chaos.

~•~

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: Hey everybody! Thank you so much to all of the new readers who have been very generous with reviews, favorites and follows. Special thanks to titaniclover91 for doing all three. And another special thanks to ShellyJ88 for being so faithful to this story, reviewing every chapter. I want you to know that I really love everything you guys have to say, and I respond to every single gesture that you guys make for me. So please keep doing that, it really makes my day. And now... Chapter 10!

Summary: Tortuga is known for its bar fights and immoral freedoms. But will this trip be far from the regular trivialities that come with the port?

~•~

The Pearl bobbed in the shallows of the dock as its occupants slowly unloaded. They were here to rest for the time being. Their captain had been very unenthusiastic about sailing. Though odd and unexplained, the crew had begun to accept his decision and took it as a chance to engage in the wonderful trivialities of Tortuga.

Jack waited for the last of the crew to depart before approaching Elizabeth. They hadn't spoken at all since Will had returned. An occasional glance was exchanged, but it was often awkward and short. The uncomfortable interactions were beyond intolerable.

"Elizabeth?" He asked as gently as he could. Elizabeth turned around, but looked down at the floor almost immediately.

"What is it Jack?" She asked uninterestedly. Jack frowned. Not the reaction he was hoping for. But he was no fool to enter this scheme unprepared. He took a hold of her hand and opened the fist so that their palms were touching. She was prepared to pull away when he placed a piece of paper in her hand and closed her fist once more.

"Read it once I'm gone," he instructed, before practically running away from the scene. Elizabeth's eyes stayed glued to him until he ran off the dock and into the ever bustling town. She unfolded the note and smiled when she saw the beautiful calligraphy that had been on the letter sent with his gift. She traced her fingers over the script, before legitimately reading the words.

 _Elizabeth,_

 _I didn't know how exactly to say this in person, so I decided to write this letter. I have noticed that you have been a bit unhappy and confused lately. I wanted to take you somewhere that I thought could help. Come to the other side of Tortuga at eight tomorrow morning. I will not be on the ship tonight, and so will not be able to take you. Please come alone._

 _Love, Jack_

There was that word again. He couldn't have found a better way to end that letter? But she was overwhelmingly curious about what he had planned. She couldn't handle suspense. She had to tell someone. She spotted Will on the port side of the ship.

"Will! I have something to show you!" She called out, waving him over. Will arrived confused to a very excited Elizabeth.

"What is it Elizabeth?" He asked as if there was some kind of problem. Elizabeth held the note up and gave it to the man.

"Look at this," she said innocently. Will's brows creased and his lips contorted into a smirk.

"Perfect," he whispered to himself.

~•~

"Gabriel, have you finished my order?" Jack asked the local jeweler, and long term friend. The man stood up proudly and pulled a beautiful box from a shelf beneath the counter.

"Just how you wanted it. A sparrow and a swan. I made it so that the two pieces have to be connected to form the full picture. They just won't look as good alone." Jack took the two necklaces in his palms. The images were etched into the gold with amazing skill and all the art was colored with encrusted pearls and the most precious gems the world had to offer.

"Great work Gabriel. Though I expected nothing less," Jack complimented, placing a pouch of gold coins on the counter. Gabriel took the pouch and placed it into his cash drawer. When he looked back up, Jack was still adoring the charms intently.

"Are those for you and a special someone Jack? Could it be that governor's daughter you saved from Barbossa few months ago? Elizabeth _Swann_ , wasn't it?" The jeweler guessed. Jack frowned at his precision and placed the pendants in his coat pocket.

"That be my personal business Gabe. I don't feel the need to divulge such information to you," Jack said defensively. Gabriel began to chuckle and Jack left the shop. He had a lot more work to do before meeting Elizabeth tomorrow morning.

~•~

"It will knock anybody out for twelve hours. Won't even remember how it happened," explained the shady dealer in the corner of a bar. He held up the tiny jar filled with brown powder.

"All I have to do is burn it? And if I wear a mask, only the other person will be affected?" Will asked, examining the container. The hooded man nodded.

"And you can wake them up by splashing water on them?"

"Yes."

"And even if they do wake up, they won't remember what happens during that time?" The man nodded more urgently, annoyed with the number of questions the young man had, and stuck out his hand. Once a shilling was placed in his palm, it was like he'd never been there. Will hid the jar, as well as a matchbox in his jacket, and made a hasty exit from the scene.

~•~

Jack had gotten everything set up so that tomorrow would be uninterrupted. He'd practically rented out the entire south side of Tortuga for the first half of the day. Now, wanting to avoid Elizabeth's insatiable curiosity, he was staying at tavern that was rather decent and minimally occupied. He sprawled out on the mattress, though a bit hard for his taste, rather welcome after the soreness of body that he'd obtained through the day's activities. To be fair, he was a man who could sleep soundly on a prison floor. He tossed his coat and effects onto the lone shelf in the room. He'd decided to keep most of his clothing on to save some time in the morning.

He reached over and doused the lamp, letting darkness shroud the room. Just as he was closing his eyes, a clatter sounded through the space. He shot straight up and groped for his sword. Once certain that he was armed, Jack stepped out of bed and grabbed a match from the drawer, lighting the lamp again.

"Who's there?" He asked authoritatively. He shined the lamp around the entire area, but there wasn't a single sign of anything out of the ordinary. He frowned and set the lamp down.

The air felt very thick, almost suffocating. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the room was nearly blue with smoke. He coughed trying to expel the vile substance, but it quickly turned into an unstoppable fit. He grabbed hold of the headboard, feeling his knees grow weak. The coughing persisted, and before long, blood was spurting from his mouth. He saw the world begin to spin and tumble in front of him. Finally, his legs collapsed underneath him, and he crashed to the ground.

~•~

Will knelt down before the Jack, trying to pull him up and off the floor. He needed to get out of here before anyone came to check on the commotion. He brought out a large sack and stuffed Jack into it. Once he fastened the knot, he continued to take his captive's belongings as well. He peered out the window and, just where he'd left it, a hay-filled donkey cart stood. He was grateful that the room had only been two stories up.

Jack's body was carefully lowered into the wagon first, followed by his assets. Will scaled down the wall and landed in the driver seat.

"Heeyah!" Will ordered as he snapped the reins. The donkey brayed and trotted through the dark. All the way to his destination, coupled with the donkey's clicking hooves, Will's thoughts troubled him. Was he really doing this? A few months ago, he would have been to afraid to raise his voice against Mr. Brown. Now, he had a man, Captain Jack Sparrow nonetheless, completely knocked out and in the back of his cart. All for what? For Elizabeth. He had to have her, and he was willing to do anything for that to happen.

The wagon halted in front of a debilitated shack, long abandoned by the looks of it. Will leaped off and tied the donkey to a peg. He went around to the back and pulled the bag onto the ground. It landed with a thud, making him wince. He really didn't want to cause any major injury to Jack. It would raise suspicion.

He dragged the sack into the shack along with the items. Once he latched the poorly built door, Will opened the bag and peeked inside. He pulled Jack out of the burlap and shouldered his limp body as best he could until he reached a support beam in the hut's center. He leaned the man against the wooden pole and produced a pair of shackles from his coat. He clasped the manacle onto one of his wrists and wound the chain behind the pole before fastening the other. Will knew better than to give Jack any form of mobility. He would surely use that to his advantage. A rope was tied exceptionally tight around his ankles, stifling any and all movement.

"Wake up!" Will barked, as he threw a bucket of freezing water on Jack. The pirate coughed and sputtered as the chilling shock brought him back. His eyes were bleary and his head was throbbing. His body ached way worse than before, and to top it all off, he was freezing and soaking wet. He looked up to where the harsh voice had come from. His eyes began to adjust as he saw who it was.

"Will? What the hell is going on!?" He mustered. Will gave him a cocky grin and squatted down to his level. His hand grasped his chin firmly and forced him to look up at his captor.

"Did you really think I was going to let have Elizabeth?" He asked with as much venom as a human could manage to spit. Jack squinted at him, brows knitting together in confusion. Before he could clear his doubts with words, he received a hard blow to the side of his face. He groaned as he felt a bruise form on his cheekbone.

"What..." was all he could say before a fist landed on his nose. He breathed out heavily and moved his hand to grip the cartilage, but found that his hands were shackled behind the pole he was leaning on. He could feel the blood seep from the infliction and down to his mouth. Tasting your own blood was not a sign of an small problem. He arched his neck trying to escape the hits aimed towards him, but soon found that to be a mistake. Will's fingers took a vise-like grasp around his throat. He craned his neck, trying to catch some air though his crushing windpipe.

"What are... you talking about mate? She doesn't... love me!" Jack sputtered out. The hand dropped, letting Jack wheeze and gasp for the lost air.

"That doesn't mean you don't love her. And that's enough for me to take you out of the picture." One last punch to the head turned the world black again.

~•~

Will shook his hand, trying to ease the pain from the cuts that adorned his knuckles. Even being the one who was doing the hitting hurt, which made him feel moderately guilty about the amount of pain Jack must have felt. But he shook it off, and continued with the rest of his plan for the night, now that he'd taken out his anger on the pirate.

"All right then Jack. What did you get from that jeweler today?" He asked rhetorically, knowing he would never receive an answer. It didn't matter if he were unconscious or not. He stuck his hand into the pocket of Jack's coat. Something, no, two smooth, cool objects rubbed against his skin. He pulled them out and discovered them to be charms. He held them each in a different palm, admiring the beauty of the pendants. But his admiration quickly transformed into scorn as he realized what the charms symbolized.

Though his mind loathed the act of doing so, he placed the medallions in the same hand. As if drawn to each other, the sparrow and the swan latched together. Will watched the phenomenon occur in his hand, all together shocked at the display. He gritted his teeth and began pulling at the chains. They refused to budge for some time, before they finally gave away. Will was still astounded by the happening, and felt a sense of humanity wash over him. He dropped the swan half into his pocket and stared at the sparrow part for a long while.

"You at least deserve this," he said, looking over at Jack. He walked over and knelt down beside the insensate man. He dangled the sparrow in between their faces, before fastening the medallion around the pirate's neck. He hid it inside the shirt's neckline and stood up mollified. He examined the shack once more, before departing by foot from the area. The donkey brayed as its former master left. And, for once in its existence, Tortuga was absolutely silent.

~•~

To be continued...

A/N: Ok, just so you know, this chapter is a bit on the shorter side for a reason. I know exactly what's going to happen next, but this seems like the perfect place to end this chapter. Chapter 11 will be out sooner than most so please don't mind the length. And if this was unclear, the powder Will used was opium. I had to change some of the effects though. I had a unit on drugs at school, and I guess it went to my head. Just putting it out there. Hope you liked it!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: Ok, I promised that this chapter would be out soon and I have been a man of my word, well not really because I am a woman. (If you don't get the reference, watch the first movie again!) But anyways, this chapter might make some of you angry with the plot, but I promise that everything will turn out okay. For the most part anyway. And I have received some comments regarding Elizabeth's stupidity. I sent this in a review reply, but I thought I might as well put it here too. I know Elizabeth's trust in Will is kinda(ok, extremely) stupid. But she can't help but trust Will because she doesn't want to love Jack or care about him, even though she does. She wants to hold on to something stable and connected to her old life to keep from completely losing to her emotions. So she is pretty much forcing her mind to trust Will. I hope that cleared some things up. Now you guys can actually understand her idiocy. I also made a new YouTube video. This is an AU story video, so I think you guys might like it. Please watch, like, comment, and subscribe to me on YouTube! I'll put a link below. Hope you enjoy Chapter 11!

Video link:

/NaOIkiNRjGE

Summary: Spite can lead to things you never imagined yourself capable of doing. Will is filled with spite and Jack and Elizabeth are the ones he is going to target.

~•~

Elizabeth was tossing and turning in the bed that she and Jack had previously shared. But he wasn't there tonight. And, truth be told, Elizabeth wanted him there. She wanted to feel his warmth, feel him breathe down on her hair, feel his strong arms around her. Since he'd given her the letter, she couldn't control her mind's fantasies about the pirate. The man she'd been trying to keep out of her head for days, was suddenly the only thing occupying it.

She snuggled up closer to the pillow and smiled. She was beyond excited for tomorrow. She felt like a school girl, feeling butterflies in her stomach and all. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why Jack had such an effect on her, and though it thoroughly frustrated her, she couldn't help but love it. She turned and began to wonder what he could have planned for tomorrow morning. Knowing Jack, he probably would have done something worth a shiny penny, or at least included tons of rum. She didn't care how big or rum-filled the day was going to be. She was just happy that she might be able to spend a day with like their night on Rumrunner's Island. No inhibitions or stresses, just pure freedom. And she had faith that Jack wouldn't disappoint.

After finishing her seemingly endless train of thought, Elizabeth closed her eyes and allowed sleep to wash over her. But even in her dreams, she couldn't stop wondering what was going to happen the next day.

~•~

Though it was eight in the morning, the streets of Tortuga were still lined with drinkers from last night. Elizabeth was careful not to step on any unsuspecting street sleeper as she made her way to the far side of Tortuga. This side of the port was far more appealing than the inhabited section. It was beautiful, a coastline with crystal blue waves and pinkish sand. She made her way down to the waterline and dipped her feet inside the cool tide. Nestled in between the soft sand and gentle waves, Elizabeth began to wait for Jack.

~•~

2 hours later:

"Jack, where are you?" Elizabeth asked herself as the sun began to rise higher in the sky. She had walked around the whole beach at least three times before her legs begged her to stop. And he still wasn't there.

"Elizabeth!" A voice called out from behind her. She turned to see Will standing at the top of the sandstone ridge that separated the town from the beach. He leapt down and began sprinting towards her, stopping only inches away. He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

"What is this for?" Elizabeth asked, surprised by his arrival. Will released her and looked her over. He then sat down in the sand, pulling her down with him.

"I have to tell you something. It has to do with Jack," he said in an innocent, yet somewhat angry tone. No one would have believed he was lying. Elizabeth frowned and nodded for him to go on. Will breathed deeply and began spinning his lie.

"I was on my way to the local jeweler this morning and I needed directions to his shop. I figured that only Jack could provide some trustworthy help. So I went around town asking people where he was. I finally went to one tavern and asked the innkeeper if Jack had checked in. He told me he had and gave me a spare key to his room. Do you remember Scarlet and Giselle?" Will asked out of the blue. Elizabeth looked confused but then nodded.

Will continued, "Well... when I went up to his room... he was... he was sleeping with both of them." Will finished and tried his hardest not to smile at his bluff. Lucky for him, it just seemed like he wasn't able to bear the news. Elizabeth's mouth was hanging wide open. Her eyes were brimmed with huge teardrops, on the verge of plummeting down to the ground. And they did. They crashed onto her clothes and hands like bombs, each one holding even more emotion than the last. Her hands clasped around her mouth, muffling an unearthly yowl.

Her entire body crumpled down as the sobbing became uncontrollable. Will gathered the crying woman in his arms and held her tightly. The fabric of his shirt was soon soaked to the point of transparency. Once the tears began to run out, Elizabeth began to talk again.

"Why would he do that? I thought...," she mumbled before her speech became incomprehensible once more. Will hushed her and pulled her onto his lap. He placed gentle and calming kisses on her hair, all the while rocking her like a baby.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "I thought he loved me." Will pulled her off to face him and and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. But the action only caused Elizabeth to weep further, as it was something that only Jack had ever done for her. Without another word, Will pulled her forward and met her lips in a smooth, comforting kiss. She couldn't pull away. She felt so shattered that she couldn't find it in herself to keep from falling into his arms. He broke the kiss and smiled at her.

"Elizabeth, you deserve someone who will love only you. Give you the world and never make you cry. I will be that man, Elizabeth," he coaxed into her mind. She felt her will and self restraint fail her as she fell deeper into his web. She caved in and landed her lips on his desperately searching for some solace in his touch.

"I should have never left our wedding Will. I'm so sorry," she said once the kiss broke. Will stroked her hair and pushed it behind her ear.

"We can always go back. I promise no one will hold this against you," he persuaded. Elizabeth buried her head into the crook of his neck. She was thinking before she committed to returning to that life she dreaded so much. But whenever she thought of the freedom of sea, the only thing that showed up in her mind was Jack. Her face turned red and she felt the unbridled rage for him.

"I HATE YOU JACK SPARROW!" She yelled into Will's shoulder. Will tried calming her, but liked the pure hate that she was spewing at Jack.

"IF I COULD, I WOULD KILL YOU! YOU BASTARD, WRETCH!" She screeched, expelling all the air she had in her lungs. She sat still and panted heavily, having exerted herself exceedingly. Will moved her body so that their foreheads were against each other.

"If you could kill him, would you?" Will asked, still cautious of her suspicions. Elizabeth took a second of clarity, but her eyes were soon blood red with anger. She faced him sternly and nodded.

"How would I do it?" She asked stonily. Will smirked and and took one of her hands in both of his.

"Just wait for the opportune moment," he hinted, patting her palm. Elizabeth grinded her teeth and nodded once more. A man like Jack didn't deserve to live. And she was more than happy to see that to fruition.

~•~

Where was he? What happened? Jack turned his head to observe the room. It proved futile, given that his vision had never been blurrier. He leaned his head against the wooden pole behind him. He shifted his hands but found them to be manacled. Luckily, only rope was tied around his feet. He set to working on freeing his bonds, all the while contemplating how he'd gotten into such a situation.

As the ties slipped from his ankles, he rashly kicked the rope from his skin. Whoever had captured him hadn't been kind in how tight they'd tied the ropes. The dirt floor of the shack stung the open burns on his feet, but he began to stand up. He pushed his back up against the pole, feeling the splinters grinding into his back. Once on his feet, he began pulling on the pole. With the intention of breaking the wood, he yanked on it as hard as he could. Hearing the beam crack under his ministrations, he fell forward with his full weight. The beam snapped, sending him crashing to the floor.

He rolled onto his back and looped his arms under his knees, bringing the shackles in front of him. The shack began to crumble, now that its main support was broken. Jack used all adrenaline he had left to leap to his feet. His restrained hands grabbed his effects and he made a mad dash for the door.

Standing outside, he saw the small hut turn into nothing more than a pile of wood and straw. He smirked at his accomplishment before his overworked body gave up on him. He fell on his knees and laid down on his back. He needed to breathe, calm his nerves. Oh, where was the rum when he needed it most? He picked his hands up and grimaced at the handcuffs.

"This is not going to hurt at all," he said sarcastically to himself. He stood up and grabbed an iron rod from the rubble and began filing it against a rock. Once the end of the rod resembled the flat of a chisel, he stuck the metal between the manacle and his wrist. Blood began to trickle down his forearm as he prodded his wrist free. Once released, he proceeded to do the same for his other hand. He threw the shackles onto the ground victoriously and pulled on his effects.

"Now, back to the Pearl," he decided, beginning his trek back to the harbor. He ripped some cloth from his belt and tied it around his two bleeding wrists. That was when he noticed the charm around his neck. He pulled it out and stared at it intently. It was the sparrow half of the medallion he'd bought for him and Elizabeth. He stroked the side that had been attached to the swan and his face turned scared. He began frantically searching his coat pockets for the other half. But it was gone.

~•~

"Will please tell me what you have in mind," Elizabeth pleaded, wanting desperately to know his plan for killing Jack. Will kissed her cheek and smiled.

"You'll know when the time is right Elizabeth," he said vaguely. Elizabeth's face contorted into a frown of annoyance. Then it softened into one of doubt and discomfort.

"Do you think this right? Killing Jack after all we've done for each other?" She asked, guilt covering her anger towards the man. This time Will frowned. He had to keep all emotions Elizabeth held for Jack in check until the task was complete. He decided to jump for his lie again.

"We are talking about the same man who told you he loved you, called you all the way out here, and then decided to sleep with some prostitutes instead. He is a liar and a cheat. You don't have to feel guilty about killing such a man. He doesn't deserve to live," he convinced. Elizabeth nodded again, forcing her wrath to cloud her judgement once again. Will picked up on her impaired mindset, and decided to play it to his own benefit.

"Elizabeth, I actually have something for you," Will said reaching into his pocket. Elizabeth cocked her head as he pulled out a charm shaped like a swan. She smiled as he moved her hair and fastened the pendant around her neck.

"Oh Will, it's beautiful!" She exclaimed, holding the charm out in front of her. The swan seemed to glow for a brief moment, and Elizabeth felt an urge to turn around. She faced the town, as if searching for something. She felt something calling to her. It was an unyielding call, pulling her strongly. But no matter how closely she looked at the ridge, she couldn't find the source of the beacon. She scanned the town one last time before turning back around.

"Is everything alright?" Will asked, placing a concerned hand on her shoulder. Elizabeth chuckled and nodded. Turning her attention back to the swan in her hand, she traced the edge that seemed to be cut off. She couldn't help but wonder what belonged on the other end and where it was.

What Elizabeth didn't know was that Jack was doing the exact same thing on the other side of the island.

~•~

To be continued...


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: I don't have much to say about this chapter, but I do have some news. If you have a google plus account, or you can just make one if you have an email, I would like to give you all an invitation. I have created a new community dedicated to Sparrabeth and Potc in general, but preferably Sparrabeth, and would like to get some members. So I will put the link below, and I hope to see all of my wonderful readers join my community and just have fun in this free place to express your love for this fandom. Oh and please keep reviewing, following and favoriting this story. It really means a lot! Now I hope you all enjoy Chapter 12!

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Summary: Liars never prosper, but Will seems to be doing fine as his lie tears Jack and Elizabeth apart.

~•~

The harbor was back to its active state. Patrons were rushing about to their activities, recreating the town's infamous chaos. Jack plodded to his ship, brows furrowed and hands balled tightly into fists in his pockets. His mind was working in overdrive, desperately trying to comprehend last night's events. Nothing made sense at all. One minute he was sleeping at his room in the tavern, the next he is waking up in a broken shed with handcuffs and other injuries. But the strangest thing was that an entire chunk of time was missing from his memory. He couldn't remember anything from one point in time to the next. And it proved to be absolutely maddening.

A burly man rammed into Jack's shoulder in a rush, shoving him to the ground.

"Sorry mate. You should watch where you're going," the man said, helping him to his feet. Jack accepted the man's hand and shuffled back up.

"Thank you. By any chance, have you seen a girl go to the south side today?" He asked out of the blue. The man looked confused, but thought for a moment.

"Ah yes! There was a young thing moving that way this morning. But I doubt she'll still be there if you're looking for her. That was more than six hours ago," the man narrated. Jack nodded in understanding and thanked the man once more. They parted ways and Jack's mind began its race again.

Approaching the docks was almost completely oblivious to him. His feet walked up the open gangplank at their own volition and onto the deck. Gibbs and Anamaria, who were chatting on the port side, turned to greet their captain. But upon seeing his state of being, began a mad dash towards the man. Gibbs put his hands on Jack's shoulders and began shaking him, hoping to get some response. But the captain continued to stare confusedly at his boots. Anamaria motioned Gibbs away and told him to get some wet rags for Jack's cabin. She held his hand assuringly and led the still man towards his room.

~•~

"For heavens sake Jack! For the last time, tell us what happened?!" Gibbs compelled, trying to pester the man into answering him. He'd been cleaning off Jack's wounds, which proved to be quite a strange array of injuries. They appeared as if someone had been repeatedly assaulting him with quite a lot of force. He didn't look to healthy either. His skin was slightly paler and his eyes were blank and empty.

"Where's Elizabeth?" He finally asked. Gibbs stood gaping, not expecting for him to ask something so trivial that after all his silence. Anamaria decided to step in for him and answer.

"She went to the south side this morning looking for you. But she hasn't come back yet. Come to think of it, if you're here, then why isn't she back yet?" She began wondering herself. Jack frowned as possible scenarios filled his head. His eyes widened tremendously, the dangerous possibilities that could occur to a lone young woman in Tortuga flashing before his eyes.

"I have to find her!" was the next thing he said, before standing and storming out of the cabin. Gibbs and Ana followed suit, rolling their eyes at their captain's protectiveness. Jack was well on his way to the gang plank by the time Gibbs pulled him to a halt.

"Jack listen to me!" Gibbs shouted, holding the man's gaze steady on him. "Miss Elizabeth is probably fine, but you are not! Look at yourself! The worst part is that you don't even realize how unhealthy and worn-out you are! Make use of some sense and quit this madness Jack!" Jack frowned and squirmed out of his grasp. He didn't understand what all the fuss was about, but he knew that it was getting in between him and finding Elizabeth. He moved for the gangplank again, but was this time stopped by Ana.

"Jack, listen to me!" She ordered, placing her hands on his chest and pushing him down. "You have to stop obsessing over this woman! She's doing nothing but ruining your life!" Jack stood up threateningly and raised his hands up to both his advisors.

"Neither of you are to ever talk that way about Elizabeth again. Savvy?" He said sternly, drawing an end to the conversation. Ana and Gibbs exchanged looks of disbelief at Jack's warning. They felt more concerned for him than ever before. As he began walking towards the plank one last time, the sound of cheerful laughter filled the air. They all looked down to the dock to see Will and Elizabeth walking happily back to the ship.

Once they were on the deck along with the three, the tension in the air ceased their merriment. Jack looked them over carefully and found that neither of them looked hurt, though Will had a few bruises on his knuckles. Their arms were looped and they were standing really close, making Jack feel hot in the face.

"Elizabeth, can I speak with you?" He asked straightforwardly. She through him a very sarcastic smile and nodded as if expecting him to talk.

He looked around and added, "In private?" She took a moment, but began walking below deck. Jack followed, hoping for nothing too painful.

~•~

The air felt as stiff as the people inside the cabin. Elizabeth had elected to sit on the bed, but wouldn't let Jack come within a foot of her. So he sat in an armchair across from her. After an everlasting amount of silence, Jack found it suitable to speak.

"Why were you down at the beach for so long?" He asked interrogatively. Elizabeth threw a look of scorn at him before turning her head away again.

"Why must you care? It's not like I was doing anything wrong, like someone else!" She spat at him. Jack rolled his eyes and got up from his seat, moving closer to her.

"Who are you referring to exactly?" He asked, more as a curious question than an accusation. But Elizabeth didn't hear the curiosity in his voice. She heard lies that weren't his, pounding in her ears. Images of him with other women reeling before her eyes. She stood up violently and walked defiantly to the office section of the cabin. Jack followed her, but didn't risk going all the way.

"Elizabeth, why won't you tell me who it is!?" He tried once more, but it sounded more of a demand than a question. Elizabeth's eyes were red, with tears of fury pouring out of them. She stomped over to him and stood before him, taught and inflexible.

"How about you answer my question first?! How did you get all those bruises?!" She asked as if she knew the answer, and was really displeased with it. Jack cracked his knuckles nervously and licked his lips. He didn't want to tell her exactly what happened, as it was too much of an insult to his character. He tried to find a workaround, but couldn't find a convincing one in his head.

"I... I uh... I got into a bar fight," he stated plainly. Elizabeth pursed her lips and curled her fingers into fists at her sides. She dug them into her thighs until they were embedded in the flesh. More tears flowed as she looked up at him with rageous features. Without notice she grabbed the collar of his coat and pulled him forward with all her strength.

"How does it work Jack? Huh?" She asked mockingly examining his face and head.

"Does it just come naturally to you or do you actually have to think before you lie to someone? I'd pick the latter, because obviously after last night's activities, you are just too stupid to come up with a good bluff!" She pushed him hard into the desk behind them, knocking over some breakable materials. The objects crashed on the floor as Jack groaned and regained his footing.

"Elizabeth, what in hell's name are you talking about?!" He shouted, completely incredulous on her outbursts. She seemed to be breaking down and falling apart into sobs at the moment. Jack quirked his brow and ventured closer to her.

"Lizzie, whatever you think I did, I didn't. Now can you please stop crying!" His voice escalated, unable to take the emotions anymore. Elizabeth snapped and spun around to face Jack. Her hand flew furiously at him, making contact with his mouth and cheek. The slap was sharp and loud. But that was because of the relatively deafening silence that filled, not only the room, but the whole deck.

Jack didn't move from his frozen position. His hand wandered up to the side of his mouth and wiped away some blood that managed to trickle down his lips. He stared at his red stained fingers for quite sometime before turning to face his assaulter. Elizabeth's body was shaking with indignation and her skin was cherry red.

"After all you have done, how are you able to deny it through your teeth. How can you sleep with two prostitutes and then have the guts to say otherwise! How could I have ever slept with you, you scoundrel!" She rated, her hands digging their way into her hair frustratedly. Jack felt his blood begin to boil. How dare she accuse him of doing such a thing! True enough, he had slept with multiple women before. But he would have never dreamed of doing so after meeting her! But now, it didn't seem to matter.

Before the rage could be contained, Jack barreled towards Elizabeth and grabbed her small wrists in his hands. He forces her all the way back against the wall, pinning her to it under his body. She struggled and keeled under him as he relentlessly pressed on top of her.

"You slept with me because you wanted to Lizzie! I never forced you!" He whispered harshly. He crashed his lips onto hers, attacking them with full force. Elizabeth scrunched up her face and tried to pull away from the kiss, turning her neck in all directions. When his mouth fell from hers, she took the opportunity to get him off her. She gathered up saliva in her mouth and spit it into his face, making him drop her wrists and back away.

"You're sick, you bastard!" She screeched before running furiously to the cabin door. Jack wiped the spit from his face and and smacked his forehead. He berated his ego for making him act so idiotically.

"Lizzie, I didn't mean it!" He called out apologetically. But it was too late. She was already gone.

~•~

"Elizabeth! What's wrong?!" Will asked, seeing her run up to the deck with a sopping wet demeanor. She ignored him and continued her dash to the bow of the ship, where she hoped to be left alone. Her desires were not fulfilled, as Will found it suitable to follow her.

"Elizabeth, what happened?" He asked, gently sitting down beside her. Elizabeth tucked her face between her elbows, allegedly hiding from him. He sighed and put his arms around her, pulling her closer. His eyes wandered to her wrists, which were red and sore. He pulled them towards him and observed them closely, anger brewing in his mind.

"Did he do this to you?" He asked venomously. Elizabeth nodded and fell limply into his chest, soaking his shirt. A serpent smile crept up Will's face as he falsely consoled the woman in his arms.

" _Jack, you are too easy to play. Glad to see that you're making my job way easier for me,"_ he applauded with derision. He hushed the woman in his arms, sneaking in vile comments about Jack to portray his act more legitimate.

"I'm going to beat him to dust!" Will threatened, rising fro his spot on the mast. As he moved away, Elizabeth held his arm, hindering his procession to the pirate captain.

"Will, I don't need someone to fight my battles for me," she stated resolutely. She stood and dried her eyes, having grown sick and tired of crying repeatedly over the frivolous matters that concerned Jack. She strode back to the forecastle deck, and stared at the stairs to the cabin currently housing her target.

"I merely need you to tell me what that plan of yours is," she said menacingly. Her mien resembling that of a wild cat ready to pounce upon its prey. Will smiled, proud of his accomplishments in her personality and moved closer to her. He snaked his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"As I said before, you will know when the time is right. Patience, my love. All good things to those who wait Elizabeth, all good things," he chimed hypnotically. Elizabeth felt her command over herself become his, his spell taking over her.

"Alright Will. I'll wait, but only so long as you promise that I'll be the one to kill that wretch!" Will smirked.

"I think I can make that promise."

~•~

It was just him that night. No one he knew was with him. Prowling through the bar in the shadows, inconspicuous to the average eye, moreover invisible to the drunk. His lover had insisted that they stay at an inn for the night, not wanting to see a certain pirate captain anytime soon. But he was more than accepting of her decisions, as he needed to accomplish some duties that would prove to be maddeningly difficult from aboard a ship.

"Hello Mr. Norrington," Will said slyly, sliding into the seat beside the unsuspecting drunk. The supposed drunk, just like him, sat in a dim corner of the room. Sighing, he wiped some grub away from his face, showing the appearance of a high standing officer.

"I find rather insulting that you were able to recognize me Mr. Turner," he quipped, handing a bottle of liquor to Will as well. He accepted and they jointly pulled swigs from their respective containers. Will set his down and wiped away the residue that cling to his lips.

"Do you remember when I said I'd call upon you when such a time arises that I require you're assistance?" Norrington placed his mug down as well, curious of the young man's offer.

"Yes," he said, prying for more information on the matter. Will smirked and relaxed in a more comfortable position.

"You know of my mission yes?" He nodded, "Then you should know that I have made it much more interesting for myself." Norrington furrowed his brows and placed a hand on his chin. Will scoffed and sat up straight again.

"Jack owes a blood debt to the captain of the Flying Dutchman, Davy Jones. If he goes out in open ocean, he is bound to be eaten by the beast that does the man's bidding, the Kraken. But Jack will never go out on the sea for no reason, so this is where I need you help." Norrington shook his head, terribly confused by the tale. Will rolled his eyes and decided to lay out his role clearly.

"Listen, you needn't know all the details, but remember these directions. You have come here with troops, no doubt?" Will looked up at the commodore, who merely nodded in response.

Will continued, "You must rally your troops for an attack on Tortuga. When I give a signal from the Black Pearl, you can begin your raid. This will result in my mission progressing to its next phase, and you gaining the Medal of Honor for catching all of these no good pirates." Norrington chuckled, pleased with the plans results. Will stuck out his hand, an offered alliance.

"Do we have an accord?" Norrington's hand clasped Will's.

"We have an accord."

~•~

To be continued...


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: People, we had a surge of reviews and a lot of activity on this story earlier and I'd love to have that back. So please please please review! And if you are someone who follows/favorites this story, I already consider you a very valuable person, so I will expect your reviews eagerly. If you have noticed me straying from my original tone in this story, it's just because the plot is going in such a way lately. If you liked my writing style in earlier chapters, I promise that it will come back. But we have made it past 2,000 views for this story which makes me super happy so I hope I can keep you all interested. Now for chapter 13! :)

Summary: Choices must be made. Uncertainty plagues people's sleep. One decision will be the verdict of it all.

~•~

"Jack?" Gibbs asked quietly, wondering if his captain would still be awake at this hour. Truth be told, he had no doubt about his awareness, but it seemed that he'd wanted everyone to think otherwise. Jack didn't acknowledge his first mate's presence. His eyes stayed glued to the ocean from his place on the window seat. He had his legs curled up to his chest, with one arm wrapped around his knees. The other held a nigh empty bottle of rum at his side, dangling loosely and hopelessly from his fingertips.

Gibbs ventured closer to his captain, trying his level best to cause some stirring in Jack's form. But no such change occurred. Growing slightly annoyed, and greatly concerned, he sat across from the daydreaming man, opting to observe him some more. His eyes were physically staring out at the open ocean, but they were blank and distant. His breathing was slow and his posture was weak, requiring support from all parts of his body to remain in a sitting position, hence the curled demeanor.

"Jack, what be wrong betwixt you and Miss Elizabeth?" He asked bluntly. It was the only sure fire way to get a response. Jack stiffened and shifted slightly at the mention of her. Slowly, he tore his eyes away from the window to look down at his knees. He lay the side of his head heavily on the joints, looking inside the cabin, and sighed deeply.

"It was stupid of me to even imagine her as mine," he said, though it was more of a mental beration than a statement to his first mate. He gradually lifted his head to face Gibbs, though he seemed to be very tired in doing so. He smirked at his worried crew mate without any enthusiasm whatsoever, a sad sight to see on the visage of Jack Sparrow. He limply put the bottle to his lips and sipped the remainder of the burning drink down his throat.

"Now, ya know that can't be true. The girl is crazy about you!" Gibbs said affirmatively. He finalized his statement with a short nod of his head, hoping Jack would accept it. Jack tilted the bottle completely upside down, craving the last drops that clung to the inside of the glass carafe. Gibbs wanted some response from him, but didn't dare to prod him further. Not entirely satisfied, but more so giving up on his quest for the droplets, Jack set the bottle on the floor beside him.

"Jack..." Gibbs coaxed, reaching his hand out to pat the man's knee, "...do you really think that she wouldn't not love you?" Jack's midnight black orbs somehow appeared darker as his downcast lids partially covered them. He inhaled shakily, seeming unsure of his breath intakes. The exhalation wasn't much different, if not worse. He bit his lower lip as to stifle his rattled breaths, seeing them as a sign of weakness. He could feel Gibbs' intent stare penetrating the closure he tried to create for himself regarding the situation. His body answered the man by its own accord, allowing Jack to shake his head ever so slightly. The words slowly formed in his mouth and he prepared to expel them to his first mate.

"She doesn't. She never did," he admitted, only half paying attention to anything other than his own words of realization.

"And what in the name of the good lord prompted you to think like this?" Gibbs asked incredulously. He was unable to comprehend how any of their escapades with one another would signal anything other than love. Jack lightly shook his head once more and exhaled an empty hearted chuckle.

"You didn't see the rage in her eyes mate. She looked as if she were a devil solely after me. There was no love in those eyes. Just pure, unbridled hate," he finished. The moment burned fresh in his eyes. He could feel the heat of her glare on his skin even now as he recalled it. Gibbs tried to ascertain any particular emotion on his captain's face, but was unable to decipher much. Only one thing reflected clearly on his countenance, and that was confusion. For someone known to always have a plan up his sleeve to get out of the most dire situations, Jack Sparrow appeared utterly baffled by the idea of Elizabeth Swann.

"Tell me something Gibbs," Jack said, some life coming back to his voice. The man beside him straightened hopefully, taking his change in tone as a sign and praying for the blankness in his eyes to disappear. The universe seemed to have heard his wish, as when Jack's eyes turned it gaze at him quizzically, there was indeed a new emotion in them. But the heavens had misinterpreted the wish. Jack's eyes had a sickening mixture of sadness and shame filling them.

"Am I the one to blame here? Is it because of me that she's acting this way?" He asked in a hampered voice. He stared pensively at the his friend, thinking about his own question just as hard as awaiting an answer. Gibbs' mouth hung open as he stared wide eyed at the guilty pirate. What the hell was the matter with him? He'd had more than his fair share of fights with women in his life. Gibbs had witnessed many of them firsts hand, but nine resulted in such a distraught aftermath.

"Jack I don't think it wise for you to be around Miss Elizabeth any longer. Neither you nor she be in the right state of mind, and you are already unhealthy as it is. Don't you think it best to just end this madness here and now? Save you both the trouble?" Gibbs offered. Jack's lips curved downwards. He'd never wanted any of this to go this far. He was fairly content with just having Elizabeth on board, no feelings in the way. But now that they were there, there was no way around them. So what would he do? Would he face them and try to sort this mess out? Or would he run and leave it well enough alone?

"So... You think we should drop Will and Elizabeth back at Port Royal... and we'll all continue our carefree pirate lives?" Jack asked introspectively. Gibbs thought about his captain's take on his words, unsure of how to explain that it was the best option. He couldn't determine what his reaction would be.

"It does seem to be the most feasible course. But in the end... it's what you choose Jack," he concluded, leaving the burdensome choice to the troubled man. Jack licked his suddenly parched lips and leaned his head against the window. The moonlight shown on his golden tanned skin provided him with an ethereal appearance, though he was anything but. He closed his kohl-covered eyes, letting the blue light reflect off his lids. His lips slowly parted to release a long held breath, as he made to justify his verdict.

"I don't know if I'll be able to live a carefree pirate life after this... but if this is the only way to ensure Elizabeth's happiness... then we are to set course for Port Royal tomorrow morning itself." Gibbs nodded sullenly and made for the exit. He looked back at his depressed captain, eyes still closed, giving the false sense of peacefulness that would trick any ignorant soul.

"I'll send someone to get the two of them, shall I?" He asked once he reached the knob. Initially, Jack didn't bother even flinching at the question, but eventually elected to nod regretfully. Gibbs looked down at the floor and left the cabin, not choosing to trouble his despondent friend any further.

Jack finally flicked his eyes open and sat up, staring out at the sea. Maybe it was meant to be his only love in this world. Perhaps, the whole purpose of his existence was merely to sail the seas for the rest of his miserable life. Jack sighed and pulled out the charm around his neck. He turned it around his fingers, letting the luminous rays of the moon bounce off the various gems.

"Sparrows are lonely things. I guess there's nothing I can do to change that eh?" He asked the charm dejectedly. He gingerly tucked the tiny bird back under his shirt and stood to fetch yet another bottle of his magical nectar. Settling down in the window seat once more, he swallowed a good amount of the alcohol and eyed the midnight black waves.

"Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me..." he hummed emptily. He honestly doubted if he could go back to living that life now. It seemed rather pointless anyways. One more swish from the flask was all it took to send him tumbling into the never ending abyss of darkness, that most people called sleep. But tonight, for Jack, it was a monster eating him whole.

~•~

Elizabeth tossed and turned on the bed of the room she and Will had decided to reside in for the night. Her grunts of frustration intensified with every writhe she made on the mattress. The friction of her body against the cot augmented until she'd created too much heat to bear. She breeches in exasperation, shooting into a sitting position with tense arms propping up her shaking body. Her aggravated legs kicked the once comforting blanket harshly onto the wooden floor.

"I hate you!" She shrieked, not giving any regard to how late in the night it was. Her hostile posture slowly began to ebb away as she panted all her vexation out of her system. Her pants gently transitioned into weeping as she curled her knees to her chest, hugging them with her elbows as she cupped her face in her palms. Every single sob shook her delicate frame, threatening to cause her to collapse onto the cot.

"Jack!" She yowled into her hands, muffling the bloodcurdling call as best she could. She had been so bent on destroying the man till tonight. All she wanted was for him to be gone from this world and out of her life. She had promised herself that she would spend no more of her precious time crying over such a abhorrent male.

But now, there she was, weeping her heart out over that same man. She couldn't resist it, no matter how hard she tried. Her mind wouldn't leave her at peace, churning up the images of the time they had spent together. Crystal clear memories of the first time they made love to one another projected in her head, playing over and over until she was on the brink of insanity. She knew what was missing here, why this bed felt as if it were made of a thousand fire ants biting at her flesh. Why she couldn't find any relaxation this night.

She longed for him. She longed for his eyes to look at her with love and lust. She long for his hands to caress her curves, both rough and gentle at once. She longed for the feel of his lips pressed against hers as their tongues tangled together. She longed for the feel of him inside of her, filling her so that she felt completed and one with him. But these longings only fueled the fire that burned in her gut. The fire that could only be extinguished by the demise of the man who lit it to begin with.

And yet, despite such a vigor and enthusiasm to end his worthless life, she felt guilty. Was she actually going to take on the part of the murderer? Will had not yet specified her role in the plot, so for all she knew, she might have to gut the man. Would she be able to go through with it? Perhaps killing him wasn't the best option. Maybe merely parting ways would suffice to kill the flame that burned inside her. She had to speak to Will about this. It was the only way to know. She had to know what he had planned.

Elizabeth stayed absolutely still, save for the shivers that racked her body. She looked towards the door as it creeped open, revealing the precise person she'd wanted to speak with. Will hung his coat on a nail in the wall before turning to face her.

"Elizabeth? Why are you still awake at this hour? Is something wrong?" He asked in the sweetest, most concerned voice one could feign. Elizabeth sighed and shook her, not knowing where to begin explaining her debacle. Will was beside her in the blink of an eye, his arm wrapping protectively around her shoulders.

"Will, I need to know," she said calmly. Will quirked his brow and shook his head, signaling his confusion. Elizabeth repeated herself with resolve and Will picked up on the hint.

"Once we're out in open waters, many things will begin to happen. Things may get a tad chaotic, but you must know that it is all part of the plan. But after all the chaos, the whole crew will be leaving the Pearl, us included. At that point, you must somehow handcuff Jack to the ship's mast. I will have one of the bonds on the mast beforehand, so all you have to do is put the shackle around his wrist. You are then to come with me and are not to look back, do you understand?"

Elizabeth's mouth hung open. What was going to happen? When was this going to happen? This was too much information, almost making her wish for her ignorance back. But in spite of her utter bewilderment, she managed to nod and spell out a shaky yes. Will smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her temple.

"Will... when will all..." she began, wanting desperately to know how much time she had before this task had to be fulfilled. But she was cut off as Will began to speak.

"I'm so glad that you are on board with this Elizabeth. Everything is set to happen tomorrow itself and you seem ready as ever to see it happen, right?" He asked looking down at her with his ever-smiling face. Elizabeth looked into his eyes and closed her gaping mouth, nodding submissively. Will quickly wished her "Good night" and turned his back to her. She laid down as well, not closing her eyes until she could hear gentle snoring behind her. It was settled and there was no turning back now. She would end Jack's life tomorrow, and there was nothing that could stop it.

~•~

Jack squinted his eyes as he awoke to the sharp beams on sun filtering through the window of his cabin. He took a moment to survey his surroundings, deducing that he'd fallen asleep on the window seat last night. Upon further recollection, realization hit him sharply. As if on cue, Gibbs pranced into the room in lively spirits.

"Shall we set course for Port Royal immediately Captain?" He enquired in his ever-jolly tone.

"Aye, the sooner the better," was the only answer Jack provided. Gibbs quickly nodded and left as quickly as he'd appeared.

~•~

Elizabeth awoke to someone shaking her shoulders tenderly. Will gathered her into a hug as soon as she was alert. The sun shot through the windows in sharp beams, seeming almost dangerous. The entire situation seemed to go by in a blur.

"I'm going to go and check us out. Be ready to go when I return," Will directed as he made for the door. Elizabeth nodded blankly, her mind preoccupied with the events the day was going to hold.

~•~

Jack stood on the deck of the Pearl, oblivious to his surroundings.

Elizabeth ignored her instructions of packing, pacing the room anxiously.

He made his way to the side of the ship facing Tortuga.

She walked towards the open window facing the docks.

His hands clenched into the railing.

Her nails dig into the windowsill.

Unwittingly, they stared exactly in each other's direction. The only aspect that was clear to them, was the intense heat they felt radiating between them, even from such a distance. They sighed simultaneously and gazed up solemnly.

"Today's the day."

~•~

To be continued...

Okay here is the deal. I need 5 reviews in this chapter, otherwise I'm not updating. I need to know that you all still care about this story, so I'm begging you, please review! That'll be all. Thank you for reading in the first place!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: I am soooo sorry for this late an update. I was really preoccupied with life and creativity just seemed to freeze. Thanks so much to all my beautiful reviewers and new followers. You guys helped me finally finish this chapter! I don't think this chapter is that good, but I became so sick of rewriting it, I decided to post this version. Don't be to harsh if the quality is bad. I also didn't reread this well, so there may be a lot of mistakes. A big chunk of this is Norrington's thoughts, because I plan on making him a prominent character in future chapters. So know that it isn't just junk. Thanks you guys! And we finally hit 25 reviews, which might not seem like much, but it really means a ton to me! Now chapter 14!

Summary: A raid rips through the port. Bad choices are taken. How will it all end?

~•~

"Remember Elizabeth, I will guide you through it for the most part. But for how to chain him to the mast, you're going to have to use that overactive imagination of yours," Will instructed in hushed tones as they climbed down the rickety wooden stairs of the inn. Elizabeth quickly nodded, wanting to hear about the plan as little as possible. Something was eating at her, but what it was, she couldn't pick out. Guilt? Regret? Anger? Perhaps sadness? All she could pinpoint was that it was the most incommodious feeling she'd ever had the displeasure of experiencing.

The area of Tortuga they were staying at was far from classy, but relatively dignified compared to the more popular north side of the town. They fortunately didn't have many articles with them, making traveling far more hassle free than anticipated. They were headed back to the docks to board the Pearl once more. A member of Jack's crew had arrived at the inn this morning and told them that the Black Pearl was leaving Tortuga, and they'd better be on board if they wanted a ride off the pirate port. The man never specified where or why the Pearl was setting sail, but it did indeed kindle Elizabeth's curiosity.

Lost in her thoughts, Elizabeth didn't realize that they'd made it to the harbor until Will placed his hand on her shoulder, jerking her from her daydreams.

"Come on Elizabeth. We have to make time move faster if we want our plan to succeed," Will whispered, ushering her up the gangplank with a hand on the small of her back. Will was moving her without caution, causing her to trip over the end bar of the plank and fall forward. A pair of strong arms caught her before she hit the wood. Looking up, she saw Jack holding her up by her waist, a face of worry for her wellness, blended well with a hint of regret for catching her. Once he'd gotten her into a position where she could stand without tumbling down again, Elizabeth tore away from his grasp, a scowl chiseled into her face. Jack smirked and turned to walk away, when he caught sight of Will rushing to her.

"Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Will said in what would have been taken as a concerned tone. Jack glanced over his shoulder as Will spoke the last, unnecessary sentence. A taunting smirk was plastered on his mocking visage, the words dripping with venom as he deliberately spewed them out. Jack lifted his head cockily and nodded in false admiration, though the action was so sarcastic, Will couldn't take it as genuine even if he tried. He then turned and left without so much as another word. He knew Will was trying to break him, but he was stubborn. He was going to let that meager whelp feel the pleasure of breaking the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. Not a chance.

Elizabeth hadn't been paying attention to the men's exchange of animosity. She had been far too busy adjusting the straps on her boots, so as to prevent being caught in such a situation again. As she looked up to face her fiancé again, she took note of his piercing glare in the direction that Jack had just departed in.

"Will?" She asked gently, placing a hand on his shoulder tenderly. Will snapped out of his stupor and smiled back lovingly at the woman beside him.

"Elizabeth, I need you to do one more thing so that the plan will work. Can you do that for me?" He asked gripping her shoulders lightly. She nodded hesitantly, baffled by what she could do to possibly help their scheme. Besides, she barely knew what was going to happen.

"I need you to make amends with Jack. In order to get close enough so as to chain him to the mast. You need to gain his trust again. That means no more fighting the man, and turning on your devilish charm one last time." Elizabeth gaped at him dumbfounded. After all her effort to make herself completely despise the man, she had to now make amends with him. It seemed to be quite the arduous task.

"Will, what if I can't do it?" She asked meekly. She was more than unsure of her capabilities at the moment, especially regarding matters with Jack involved.

He shook his head, implying not to worry, and walked away to help the crew load the last supplies on the ship. Elizabeth bit her bottom lip anxiously, unable to handle the suspense of when Will's plan would be put into action.

~•~

Norrington waited in silence with his troops just outside of Tortuga's main square. He observed with disdain at the grotesque pirates drenching themselves in liquor and cheap whores throwing themselves at the intoxicated men. He could never, for the life of him, understand why Elizabeth had been inexplicably drawn to this lifestyle from childhood.

But as he thought of her childhood days, he realized that it wasn't the cheapness of this life that she had been drawn too. No, it was the adventure and the freedom that called her. Sailing farther than her wildest dreams and going on quests for personal advantage. And though it pained him to admit it, he knew of one person that was the human embodiment of these qualities. Captain Jack Sparrow. The man, the myth, the legend. Despite Norrington's bleak outlook towards the pirate, he had to admit that he was a far better man than people gave him credit for. Surely he could be quite insane and drunk at times, more often than not, but by Norrington's experience, the man was a genius. No one on this Earth thought like him, which made him quite the worthy opponent.

He smiled to himself as he recalled all his attempts to capture Jack, and how he was bested by him at the last minute, conjuring up some ridiculous, but effective, escape. It was one of these times that he'd caught Jack, did he actually learn a little about the man beneath the facade of the legendary captain.

 _Norrington walked down the stairs of the to the dank brig. The steps_ _went from dry, painted wood to disgusting, moldy wood as he went further and further down. He was carrying a tray with a few pieces of hard tack and a mug of some cheap ale to their newly acquired prisoner. He'd requested the duty himself, just to see how his prize was doing. Delivering Jack Sparrow to the gallows was a straight ticket to the highest standing post in the Royal Navy. But he couldn't help but feel, just a tad, guilty. He had always aspired to capture the man and claim his reward, but in the time he'd spent trying to accomplish this, he'd found himself rather enjoying the chase. But he supposed he should put those feelings aside, for this time he was sure that Jack would be dangling from the end of the noose._

 _He stepped of the long staircase and strode to the cell that housed the pirate. He was lying on his back, aimlessly staring at the ceiling, twiddling his rings on his fingers. He hadn't seemed to notice Norrington entering. James wasn't all that surprised. Jack had been down here for a good five days now, and by the arrogance of the crew, had seen only a few cups of ale in this time. No doubt he'd be slightly delirious._

 _"Why does this always happen to me?" He asked abruptly, snapping Norrington from his stupor. He edged closer to the cell and placed his hands cautiously around the bars._

 _"What?" He asked in a confounded voice. Jack sat up and crossed his legs like a young boy. He gazed up at the commodore, his head cocked slightly to the side, his eyes tired and yielding. Norrington suspected the lack of nutrition was beginning to take its toll on the pirate._

 _"Why is it that I have to run from you for the rest of my life? Why does everyone who longs for freedom have to run?" He asked introspectively. Before Norrington had time to fully process the words and respond, Jack's body went limp and fell back onto the damp floor. Norrington's eyes widened and he unlocked the door. He rushed to the unconscious prisoner and shook him, hoping for some response. When none came, he reached for the mug of ale. Dipping his hand into the cup, he splashed the liquid onto the deprived man's face. Jack sputtered and shot back up, perplexed by the situation._

 _"Ah, come to gloat I suppose Commodore?" He asked sarcastically, the mischievous glint coming back to his eyes. Norrington sighed, chuckled, then closed the cell and left with out a word. In the back of his mind, Jack's words still rang profusely. He was slightly glad the man had fainted before he'd had a chance to respond. He was unable to come up with a valid reason as to why himself._

"Commodore, the men are getting antsy about waiting to attack sir," Gillette reported. Norrington reluctantly pulled away from his flashback, and turned to face his lieutenant. He nodded and walked further down the hill they were hiding on to address his, far too impatient, men.

"I understand that you all find that teaming up with Mr. Turner isn't the most agreeable thing, but as long as we can maintain some level of patience and trust him for his signal, we'll be leaving here as men worthy of the Medal Of Honor," he declared. The men murmured in discussion, then gave and approving, "Aye!"

Norrington strode back up to his perch at the top of the hill and crossed his hands behind his back. His eyes stared fixedly on the Black Pearl, wondering where Jack would be in it at the moment. He closed his eyes and sighed. It was true. The system of law was most definitely flawed. Though Jack had committed numerous crimes, he'd never actually harmed anyone. In fact, Jack had probably killed less people in his lifetime, than Norrington had bringing down but one pirate. If anything, the government should be hanging its own soldiers. He wasn't saying that all pirates were like Jack. Many of them were ruthless, like Barbossa. But Jack was different. In Norrington's eyes, he didn't deserve to be hanged for his crimes. But he couldn't do anything to say otherwise. Every man had his duties, and his was being Jack to the gallows.

He frowned, eyes still screwed shut. Perhaps if in another life, or if he was relieved of his responsibilities, he would be on his side. But that was far from possible.

A sudden blast woke Norrington from his thoughts. Looking out at the black ship, he could see smoke coming from its side. Someone had fired a canon, not something that could be done unintentionally. He turned to face his troops, who were just as startled by the blast.

"Arms at the ready men! Attack Tortuga!"

~•~

"Will, what the hell was that?!" Jack shouted as stormed below deck. The former blacksmith feigned utter innocence. But Jack, already having his suspicions about the man, was able to see right through it. He came extremely close to the young man whispered his question, so as to not alarm the crew.

"William, I will not ask this again. What did that shot signal?" He enquired menacingly, his hands gripping the interogee's shoulders. Will smirked, unfazed by the captain's intimidating tone, and brushed his hands away. He the leaned dangerously close and whispered his vague answer into the pirate's ear.

"You will know in due time Jack," he foreshadowed. He then mockingly patted the perplexed man's back, proceeding to saunter nonchalantly around the deck. Jack was beginning to grow slightly anxious over Will's new piratical ways of thinking. He didn't want to suspect his "friend" of foul play, but there was definitely something greatly unpleasant heading his way. The question was, what?

"Captain!" Marty shouted, running down the stairs, out of breath and panting. The news was so urgent, he couldn't even take a second to collect his breaths.

"The Royal Navy is attacking Tortuga!" He sounded, creating panic and alarm throughout the crew. Jack's eyes widened and he immediately made his way to the helm. Was this the grand plan that Will had plotted? Drive him from Tortuga? But for what? He didn't have time to contemplate Will's intentions, as his eyes spied the soldiers as soon as he was at his post.

"Weigh anchor, you scabrous dogs! Leave everything be and make sail with all haste!" He ordered. His men scurried about, doing their jobs with maximum speed. Jack assessed the winds and was relieved to find them on his side. If the crew would make sail quickly, they would still be able to escape. Just as he had hoped, the crew was working in top shape under pressure and were ready to sail before the Navy had even reached the docks.

"The wind's on our side men! Coax some more speed from these sails!" He commanded, skillfully steering the large galleon from the harbor. He let out a breath he hadn't know he'd been holding, as the town of Tortuga slowly disappeared into the distance. That was a very close call, and he'd had quite some experience with those. Not only was he in grave danger of being caught and hanged, but the whole crew and his beloved Pearl were in jeopardy as well. If Will had anything to do with this, he wouldn't have been able to do anything stupider.

"Captain, what be our course?" Gibbs asked, running frantically up to the helm. Jack sighed and looked out at the ocean in front of him. He then turned back to his first mate, as well as the two new faces of Elizabeth and Will. He scowled in the blacksmith's direction, which did not go unnoticed by the other two spectators.

"We are to stay to the shallows as much as possible. We are still en route to Port Royal," he informed. Gibbs's face turned uneasy and Jack could sense the anxiety in his mate's aura.

"Spit it out Gibbs."

"It's just that... the men, myself included... don't feel safe on this course anymore. And staying to the shallows makes us an easy target. So... we were hoping that we could maybe... go out to open ocean?" Gibbs suggested meekly, knowing his captain had been avoiding sailing there. Jack ran the idea through his brain.

The risks were definitely great. He hadn't been ignoring the curse he had in his hands should he sail in the open. Yet, he didn't seem to have much of a choice. The Navy, though relatively less frightening than Davy Jones, was a powerful force. Staying near their bases was indeed unwise. He was going to place himself in peril no matter which choice he made. But going out to open ocean, at least gave him the benefit of the doubt. There was no guarantee that the Kraken would find them. But going to Port Royal was practically begging for a trip to the gallows. With one last thought on the matter, he turned to deliver his verdict.

"Alright then. We shall sail to open ocean and see where we can go from there," he said solemnly, knowing what awaited him. Gibbs nodded quickly and left, sensing his foul mood. Will left along with him, but Elizabeth lingered a tad longer. Jack felt her presence and shot her a very scrutinizing look.

"Elizabeth, would you mind telling me why you're standing like a statue?" He asked sarcastically, turning his attention back to the ocean. Elizabeth purses her lips a and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears. She had to make amends with him, and she didn't have much time. She had to start immediately.

"I know going to sea is dangerous for you," she began, but was cut off when Jack put a hand up to stop her.

"I'm only doing it given it's the better option," he said concisely. Elizabeth could clearly tell he wanted to end the conversation, but she had to keep talking.

"I was just going to say that I'm proud of you for acting selflessly. Makes you a good man," she complimented. The words burned in her mouth. As of the moment, he was the worst type of man to her. A womanizer, a cheater, and a liar. But she wanted her words so badly to be genuine.

"You really think so?" Jack asked suspiciously. Elizabeth swallowed the knot in her throats and nodded. She hated telling lies, and she hated it even more that they were indeed lies. Jack creased his brows and then slowly turned back to face the front of the ship.

"I'm glad we've put aside our differences. When I drop you off in Port Royal, everything between us will be over and we can go back to normal," he finalized. Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly, but lucky for her, Jack hadn't noticed.

"Yes, it will be. We should have stayed out of each other's lives in the first place. Best we keep it that way from now on," she replied curtly, before ambling away from the helm to her fiancé. Jack looked at her longingly. If she believed him to be a good man, then why did she detest him? It didn't matter. Perhaps they just truly weren't meant to be together. It was better this way. But if he could have one last kiss... he would die for just one more kiss with her.

~•~

"Does he trust you now?" Will questioned as soon as Elizabeth returned to his side. He knew full well that she was abiding by the plan when she was talking to Jack.

Elizabeth thought deeply for a moment, looking back at the captain, before nodding.

"I think so. And I think I have an idea on how to kill him. It won't be too cruel this way," she suggested. Will frowned a little. He'd wanted Jack to feel the pain of betrayal when he died, but if he tried to talk Elizabeth out of her idea, the entire plan might fall through.

"What is your idea?"

"I can't tell you Will. You said that this part of the plan was exclusively mine. You haven't shared any of the plan with me, so I'll keep my part to myself," she replied conclusively. Will nodded, and pulled Elizabeth into an embrace.

"Just don't do anything stupid," he whispered into her ear. He pulled away and moved to go down stairs where everyone's hammocks were, catching some sleep before the rest of the plan need be put into action. Elizabeth watched him go and her heart felt heavy. She couldn't keep herself from looking back up to Jack. Her plan will most definitely feel stupid to Will. It will feel stupid to anyone. But she found it only fair, to herself and Jack, that they share one last kiss before he leaves this world.

~•~

To be continued...


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: Hey everybody! I am so super duper sorry for this very late update but I promise it will be worth it. This chapter is longer than most I've written before. And two reviews for the last chapter is unacceptable, but it wasn't the best so I digress. But please don't keep it that low for this one guys. I'm going to set the bar a bit high and say I need ten reviews for this chapter. It doesn't matter if you have an account or not, just hit that review button and give me your awesome thoughts. If you don't hit the limit, the suspense I'm going to leave you with in this chapter will kill you. Jk! But please do help me hit that limit. Special thanks to ShellyJ88 who told me that she would be too busy to read for a while. And also to Angy 2015 for being so awesome and helping me at random times of day with all my writing struggles. I am dedicating this chapter to them for encouraging me so much and helping me with my first story. So when they read this I hope they know how important they are to me! Luv ya guys! Now Chapter 15!

Summary: Jack has been put in jeopardy out on open ocean. Will's plan is coming close to a successful closing. Who will come out of this alive?

~•~

The ship was swaying unevenly on the waves. Or perhaps it was just him. He'd always considered his ship an extension of himself, as it always reflected his inner self. And right now, nothing felt right. Jack's hands gripped the spokes of the wheel tight enough to turn his knuckles white. The ship was as restless as he was. He could feel it in his bones that something was going to go wrong today. But how could he evade it? Could he even escape this time? _Stop it Jack! These thoughts are just making you more anxious than necessary. Focus on something else,_ he scolded himself.

But when he tried to, it only proved to stir up a new negative emotion. Jealousy.

His ebony orbs settled on Elizabeth and Will, sitting on the staircase in each other's arms. Jack could feel his blood heat up within him as he continued to observe the couple. He had never expected to feel this way about anything, be so passionate about something. Till about five months ago, he'd only ever had a drive to live another day, what with the Royal Navy and the supernatural on his coat tails 24/7. But ever since he'd met her, he felt something entirely new. Something he couldn't explain. He sighed and loosened his grip on the spokes, a wave of remorse washing over him.

It didn't matter. It didn't matter how he felt towards her, everything he would be willing to do for her. It didn't matter because she didn't feel the same. She longed for the whelp. She wished to be with him for the rest of her life, not Jack. Jack was just the person that she felt free to use and throw away anytime she saw fit. No, she didn't love him. Not as a person. He was an object of pleasure and leisurely freedom. Nothing more. And he had to accept that fact.

He lowered one hand to his belt and yanked on his compass. After their fight, the night that he'd decided to end all affairs with her, she had left his compass in his cabin. He didn't know if she had done it intentionally or by accident, but either way, it hurt. It was the gift he'd given her for her wedding, the one that was supposed to help her. But instead, it had confused her and, in the process, destroyed their relationship. He glowered at the device and angrily flipped open the lid. The arrow spun and pointed exactly where he knew it would point. He closed it back up and hung it to his waist. Will it ever point elsewhere? Or was he doomed to want only one thing for the rest of his miserable life? He couldn't know.

"Captain, the winds seem to be picking up. Do you think there be a storm coming?" Gibbs asked, snapping Jack from his stupor. Jack hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings, far to involved with his own thoughts. He licked his finger and held it out to the air.

"Aye Mr. Gibbs. But it shouldn't cause us too much of a problem. At the worst a light drizzle," he passed it off. Gibbs nodded and began to make his retreat when the roaring sound of crashing water caught everyone's attention.

~•~

"Jack Sparrow, after all these years!" Davy Jones announced. Jack slowly handed the wheel off to Gibbs and made his way down to the main deck. His eyes maintained a steely gaze on the squid faced man through the whole descent.

"Not long enough Jones! What brings you up and about eh?" Jack asked in a sneering voice. Jones laughed heartily and Jack could feel his resolve slowly diminish. He couldn't let that old squid see his fear, though he himself knew very well that it was present. He placed his hands on the railing and leaned his weight against them.

"Ah, speaking as if you're clueless eh? Have you not told your friends here about your curse?" Jack's body went gave up its resilient disposition, morphing into on of shame and guilt, upon hearing the words. The only thing that seemed to tighten was his fingers on the railing, bracing him for what was to come. Some of his crew anxiously made their way toward him, shaking his weak shoulders. His body didn't resist the jerking motions of his crew. What could he tell them? That he'd been putting them all in danger? That he had a curse on his head?

"Well then... I guess I'll have to break the news to them," Jones taunted. "Listen here! Your captain over there owes me a debt that needs to be satisfied. He is bound to sink with his ship today, so I will give the rest of you a choice. You can come aboard my ship and serve a hundred years in front of the mast, or stay with him and perish."

Jack felt slightly more broken when half his crew, the newbies that had yet to trust him, climbed the gangplank and onto the Dutchman. If he made it out of this alive, he had to work on building better relations with his men. He felt a strong hand clap him on the back. He turned his head to face Gibbs slowly, who greeted him him with a determined smile.

"We're not going anywhere Captain," he stated resolutely. Jack gave a smile, some confidence finding its way back to his soul. He looked around at the crew that remained: Gibbs, Anamaria, Pintel, Ragetti, Marty, Cotton, and oddly enough, Elizabeth and Will. He recalled that he'd told Elizabeth about his dilemma some time back, but Will couldn't have known. She must have compelled him to stay behind. _Perhaps she still cares about me, he_ thought optimistically. These people were the ones that truly cared about him, trusted him, in one way or another. He had to save them. At any cost, he couldn't let them down.

"You all, who still be on that ship, is this your final decision?" Jones asked haughtily. Jack looked to his remaining crew, awaiting their answer. Before anyone else could even open their mouths, Elizabeth stepped forward and took his hand.

"It is," she said conclusively. She looked into his surprised black eyes and smiled one of her faint smiles. Jack felt his own lips curl at the gesture, as he felt himself being drawn more and more to the women next to him. Perhaps he'd been too quick to take a decision. Maybe, they still had a chance to be together.

Will clenched his fists upon seeing Elizabeth's grand display of affection towards Jack. He tried telling himself that it was all for the plan, that she still hated that man. But even if her intentions were strictly just to gain his trust, only a blind fool would be unable to see the love that lay underneath her thin mask. Will's nails began to dig into his skin at the thought of her loving Jack after all he had done to ensure their separation.

No, this plan had to work. It would.

It must.

"Very well then. Prepare to meet your maker!" Jones proclaimed, raising his arms to signal the crew. Before his very eyes, Jack could see the front of a dozen canons aimed and ready to fire facing his ship. Before anyone else had a chance to respond to the oncoming attack, Jack had already ran up to the wheel, turning the ship hard to starboard. The jerk of the vessel snapped everyone back to reality, causing a panic.

"Everyone stay calm! Marty! Pintel!Ragetti! Get some gunpowder ready in case we need to defend! Gibbs! Cotton! Pull as much speed as possible from these sails!" Jack ordered, turning the wheel with skilled hands. The ship swiveled effortlessly through the waves. Elizabeth watched in awe as the legendary captain lived up to his reputation, putting a surprising amount of distance between them and the Dutchman. Even though she was going to end his tale once and for all, she couldn't deny that his endeavors were quite the impressive collection. She could easily say that he was the most interesting person she'd ever met. But that was all rubbish that needed to be forgotten if she was to complete her task.

She suddenly felt rather useless, and was about to go and ask for a job when a thump hit the ship's port side. The crew that had been working below deck quickly hustled up to the main, eyes widened and breathing ragged.

"We must have hit a reef Captain!" Gibbs called out to Jack at the helm. Jack's hands slowly released the wheel. Nothing in the ship moved except him, walking steadily down the staircase to his crew. He leaned over the edge and peered into the crystal waters below. A black shadow swam beneath the waves, so long it seem to span the entire length of his Pearl. He costively stood straight and faced his nervous crew.

"That was no reef Mr. Gibbs. That's what I've been hiding from these last few weeks." The crews faces turned into those of utter mortification. Jack frowned at their expressions, unable to understand what caused the sudden change.

That's when it happened.

A large, slimy tentacle landed on the deck with a deafening crash, splitting the wood and tearing most of the main mast down.

"It's the Kraken!" Marty shouted, triggering the rest of the crowd into a panic. Jack watched his friends scurry around like frenzied animals, and began thinking of a way out of his mess. Another tentacle landed dangerously near him, forcing him to join the panicked crowd. He made a dash for the stairs that led below deck, where the rest had elected to take refuge. They were all pacing rapidly and muttering incoherent words. Jack hated to see his men so incompetent at such dire time, but wanted to act understanding to them.

"Alright everybody, listen up. I don't know how much of a chance we have at beating this thing, but we can escape it. All we need is time, and I know a way to get it for us if we all work together," Jack explained, earning looks of interest from the people. He narrated his plan as speedily as possible, getting everyone to their stations. It was moments like these that he felt pride in being a captain. When his crew actually listened to him instead of calling him insane.

He rummaged though his cabin, searching tirelessly for a rifle. He could have used his pistol, but he doubted that such a tiny bullet could achieve the desired result. After, some exhausting seeking, he emerged with a loaded rifle at the top of the steps. He watched as a net with all their ammunition, was raised to the point where the Kraken could reach it effortlessly.

Will was perched on the netting, hopefully good enough bait to draw the Kraken to the gunpowder. Jack watched carefully as the Kraken's tentacles continued to rip apart his ship. He felt torn inside, seeing his beloved vessel destroyed before his very eyes. It reminded him of the first time he'd almost lost it. Ironic, isn't it. The person who'd helped him save his ship last time, was the one who was obliterating it today.

The tentacles finally made their way to prod at the ammo net. The crew was using the last shreds of their strength to hold it in the air.

Jack was about to fire the gun when Will yelled, "Wait Jack! My foot is caught in the netting!" Jack immediately lowered the gun and looked with concern towards the man. He was right, Will's foot had gotten tangled with the ropes and he was now desperately trying to cut himself free.

Jack held the gun to his eye again, praying that Will would get off so that he could shoot. Is heart was racing and he was sure if the Kraken didn't eat him, he might as well die of a heart attack.

"Jack, just shoot!" Elizabeth shouted at him from her place at the ropes. Jack squinted his eyes, focusing precisely on his target. And just as he'd hoped, Will's body fell from the rigging. Without waiting another second, Jack fired the shot.

A loud boom resonated through the air, ringing in all directions as they powder exploded, successfully injuring the beast. The crew had released the ropes upon hearing the first blast and moved as far away from the explosion as they could. They could hear the groan of the Kraken as its flaming appendages retreated back beneath the waves.

The crew tentatively leaned over the deck so as to inspect their victory.

"Did we kill it?" Marty asked innocently.

"No, we just made it angry," Gibbs revealed. Jack quickly made his way down the helm steps, and to his crew. They hoarded around him, awaiting what they assumed would be an extravagant plan.

"Abandon ship. Into the long boat," he ordered solemnly. The crew's eyes turned into empty pits of hopelessness upon hearing his words. This ship was Jack's whole life, it was a part of him. Everyone damn well knew that. And now he was asking them to leave it behind? He was going to leave it behind? It was too hard to believe.

"Jack... The Pearl?" Gibbs stammered, unable to put is shock into a proper question. Jack's eyes moved to the floor, scanning the charred and splintered wood that had come to mean so much to him.

"She's only a ship, mate," he said, swallowing a lump that began forming in his throat. He was never one to cry. Many tragedies had already taken place in his short life, but not one had made him shed tears before. He wasn't going to start now of all times.

Gibbs took a moment to consider his friend's words before giving his verdict as first mate. "Aye, abandon ship. Abandon ship or abandon hope!" The rest of the crew looked at their captain, who wasn't heading to the long boat along with them. They presumed that he'd want to say his final goodbyes to his beloved vessel in private. Respecting his wishes, they moved to load as many supplies as they could salvage into the sole surviving boat.

Jack let his ring-clad hands smooth over the railings and wood of his ship. He'd sacrificed so much for her, all for her. She was everything to him. His treasure, his love, his freedom. And now he was going to give all of that up. He would never again be able to steer a ship that moved and breathed with him. He would never again captain a ship that thought like him, would never give up on him in his time of need. Even if she had been taken away from him once, she'd proven that she loved him enough to return even ten years after being apart. It was the greatest bond he'd ever built in his life, and now it was to become naught but ash.

His hands held onto the remains of the main mast whilst his eyes gazed upon the helm one last time.

"Thank you Jack," Elizabeth said, interrupting his earnest farewells. He turned to face her, his expression grim and depressed.

"We're not free yet luv," he replied honestly, not wanting to get her hopes up. She shook her head and moved closer to him until she was only about a foot away.

"You saved us. I always knew you were a good man," she commented, her volume dropping steadily to that of a whisper. Jack held a steady gaze on her eyes, catching them dart back and forth from his own to his lips. Then, before he had chance comprehend the moment, her lips were on his.

Jack involuntarily tilted his head to the side, allowing her more access to his mouth. She didn't waste the opportunity, exploring his moist cave with her wandering tongue. She slid her hoards up his arms and onto his shoulders, gently pushing him back. Jack obliged, wanting to stay in this kiss as long as he could. He felt his back hit hard against the mast, but paid it no mind. Elizabeth's hands wandered further up his body to clasp firmly around his neck, prohibiting movement. She lapped at his tongue with her own, taking in everything he had to offer. He joined in, entangling them together in sweet harmony.

A click sounded, followed by Elizabeth's lips parting from his. As he himself pulled away, it became inescapably clear as to what had just happened. The harsh, biting steel of a manacle wrapped tightly around his wrist, chaining him to the mast. He couldn't do anything but gape at his wrist and back to the woman who had bound it.

Elizabeth's eyes were tearing and she was breathing in sharp, shallow breaths. She quickly wiped away any traces of sorrow and guilt, facing him with resolve and hate.

"You were never a good man Jack Sparrow. I should have never been stupid enough to trust you for so long," she stated venomously. Jack felt utterly bewildered by the occurrence around him to notice the hints of regret in her words.

Her hand wandered to his belt and yanked something harshly off of it. She held the compass between them and stared at it furiously before fastening it to her own waist.

"You won't be needing this anymore."

He shook his his head in bafflement, trying to move forward and prod her for more information on her motives, but found he was unable to move given how tightly she was still holding him. Her eyes floated back down to his lips, and for a brief moment, he thought she was going to kiss him again. He lost all of the aversion he had at the moment and leaned in closer, awaiting the contact. She leaned in as well, far enough for their noses to rub together and him to feel her hot breath of his skin.

"I'm not sorry."

The kiss never came, but those words did. And he couldn't believe it. He slowly opened his eyes, staring deeply into her amber irises. He could see even now that she had tears brimming them, that she was not the person that would do this. But she wasn't that person anymore. She wasn't the smart, adventurous woman he'd fallen in love with. She was someone else, gullible, vengeful, and lost. And he was going to pay the price.

"They're waiting for you," he said calmly, a small smile creeping up his face. Elizabeth looked up in shock, hearing his collected tone at the face of death. His smile only worsened her guilt, showing that he accepted this penalty issued by her.

"Jack I..." she started but was cut off by a short, broken chuckle emanating from the throat of her adversary. His eyes had a new look in them one she'd never seen before, and hoped to have never seen once. It was a look of disappointment, disbelief, and heartbreak. Her palm landed heavily on his chest gripping his coat. Tears threatening to fall out at any second. She daringly gazed back up to his midnight eyes, hoping to see something else, but no. No, it was the same look, but it was accompanied by a word.

"Pirate."

He lifted his head and growled the word dangerously, resentfully, but somewhat proudly, in her face. His deep, emotion-filled voice sent the tears cascading from her lashes. Not wanting him to see them, she turned and left, leaving him chained to his ship. And because of her leaving so quickly and carelessly, that one haunting word, would be the last word she would hear from her Sparrow.

~•~

She settled in the long boat without a sound, but with a face of confidence and denial. But inside she was close to breaking and running back up onto that ship.

"Where's Jack?" Will asked. She immediately shot him a look that screamed "shut up" but knew that if she didn't answer, the crew would become suspicious. Her mind wracked itself for a believable story.

"He didn't have the heart to leave the Black Pearl," she responded in her most convincing voice. She just prayed that the crew would believe, but when they all looked longingly up at the ship, she knew they were thinking of going back for him. Even though her only motive should have been that they'd find out about her and Will's conspiracy, she honestly feared that if the didn't leave now, she would go and sabotage the plan herself.

"Go!" She commanded, her urgency seeping steadily through her shield. Marty took the hint and pushed the boat off the ship with the oar. Elizabeth huddled her limbs closer to her body, trying to get them to cease their shaking, but it proved fruitless. She could feel the hot tears streaming down her cheeks, marking trails of sorrow on her skin. The crew looked at her with concern, but assumed it was solely because of Jack's final decision.

Will's eyes focused steadily on Elizabeth, taking in every detail of her state. He'd never seen her more broken ever before, and it made something tighten in his throat. What was wrong with him? Why did he feel bad about this? It had been his plan from the beginning. Then why did it feel so wrong? He shook his head tee of the troubling questions, and moved his gaze to the Pearl.

Elizabeth, along with the rest of the boat's occupants watched as the vessel, bound by tentacles sank into the crushing black depths. And along with their most treasured ship, was Jack. The crew remorse their most valued captain, a man who'd led them in ways they were sure no one could even dream of. A man who had saved their lives from the most bizarre situations, and with peculiar ease at that.

But Elizabeth was crying for a different reason. It was not because she valued him as a captain or would miss him as a friend. No this was more than that. She felt utterly shattered inside, as if a piece of her own soul was being ripped away from her, and she had been the one who'd done it. She had never felt this dead before, not even when her own mother had passed away. No, she didn't care for him as a friend or captain.

She loved him.

She still loved him.

And she had just killed him.

Even more rivers of pain flowed out from her, and she dared to glance up at the Pearl again. And something snapped inside of her.

"JACK!" She screamed, every ounce of despair pouring out of her. She crawled as close as she could to the very front of the boat, reaching her hand out to her Sparrow, although she knew it was a completely worthless notion. If it wasn't for Will's arms restraining her, her body would have leapt into the ocean and tried to swim to him. And if it was too late, she would have drowned along with him.

But now, when the Pearl was completely out of sight, as she sat sobbing in Will's arms, banging all of the rage she felt towards him and herself into his chest, she could think of only one phrase. It stormed and resounded in her skull, to the point where she thought her ears would bleed if it didn't silence.

 _This was a mistake._

~•~

Even though it had taken quite a few moments to collect himself post the shock of Elizabeth chaining him to his doom, Jack was back to his calculating mindset. The oil of the lamp dripped messily onto his shackled hand, providing, what he hoped would be, enough lubricant for him to slide his hand from the steel.

"Come on," he strained, folding his hand until it it became too painful. Locating that the problem was his rings, he hastily turned them to face inwards, successfully pulling the rest of his hand through. He panted heavily, enjoying his minuscule victory. But it was very short lived.

The feeling of hot, rancid breath forced his eyes to close in aversion and realization. It was here, behind him, and facing it was the only thing he could do. He tentatively turned to the beast, and as he opened his eyes, a huge roar ripped through the air. Thick, heavy mucus spurted from the creatures mouth onto him, covering every inch of him in the repulsive slime. He shuddered in disgust, wiping away some of the yellow ooze from his mouth.

"Not so bad," he tried to reassure himself. His dark eyes turned the deepest shade of black that man could ever behold. He looked up at the gaping mouth of the Kraken, dead seriousness and determination radiating from him.

"Hello beastie," he welcomed his death. He drew his sword, the metal gleaming in the small rays of sunlight that made it past the Kraken's massive form. He stepped up to the monster's merciless jaws, raising his blade high and sank it into the beast as it surrounded him.

The teeth were jagged and the saliva was acidic, making his death slow and torturous. He could feel the serrated fangs ripping his flesh, the trenchant slaver burning his body. He couldn't scream, he couldn't cry, he couldn't do anything but think. He knew that even that ability would be taken from him at any moment, so he decided to make use of it. He thought of his childhood, which had been quite enjoyable to be honest. His mind quickly raced over his time in the EITC, not wanting to remember those horrid times. Then all the time he spent with his Pearl flashed before him, allowing his heart to feel some joy in this painful situation. But then the rest of his life was filled with one person... Elizabeth.

She was everywhere, in every memory that passed. He tried to skip over the memories of her, as he had done with the EITC, but found he couldn't. No she was everywhere, mind, body, and soul. He couldn't be rid of her. No matter how hard he tried. All the times of leisure they enjoyed together in frivolous fashions. All the advances that they'd made towards each other in hopes that the other would return their affections. Then came all the disagreement, distrust, and hate that led to his current dilemma.

The last memory he had, the last he would ever have in his living form, played in his mind, signifying the end of it all. He could feel her treating him to one last, passionate kiss before sending him to his death.

He felt the last of his life drift from his being, his soul leave his destroyed body. He was greeted by a bright flash of white light, followed by an endless sea of blackness. He was completely numb, unable to feel, hear, or see anything.

Nothing except the feeling of her lips against his.

~•~

To be continued...


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: You guys are the best readers I could ask for! Sorry for being gone for so long. I've been planning out how the story is going to play out for some grounding. Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter and gave me your wonderful thoughts! We were only a few short of ten so that was pretty good. Let's try to hit ten this chapter! Please put your thoughts in a review, Love you guys and on with Chapter 16, Season 2!

Summary: Jack is making his journey to the Locker. Elizabeth has time to reflect in her thoughts... and so does someone else.

~•~

The boat glided harrowingly slow through the inky black water of the mysterious channel. He had no memory of his arrival aboard the puny dinghy, but he was glad that it had kept him from drowning in the pitch black stream below. His body and mind felt incredibly weary, but no matter how hard he tried, he found that he couldn't force himself into a slumber. So instead he engrossed himself in observing the walls that surrounded the channel. The sable stone rose much higher than his eyes could manage to see. They were swathed in carvings and statues of strange beasts, monsters with menacing stares and barbed demeanors. Just placing his eyes upon theirs roused a sense of restlessness within him, allowing alertness to overpower exhaustion. The feeling of being watched by these devil spawn was a truly discomforting notion.

His vigilance proved to be an asset, manifesting a form moving hurriedly among the statues. He stood up in his bijou vessel, squinting closely at the hasty shape. As he peered closer, the figure revealed itself to be a woman, to his fortune, his own mother. At such a time as this, whilst he was going through a passage none return from, it was felt a blessing to gaze upon his mother.

"Jack?" She called out, maternal concern pouring in her silken voice.

"Mum? What are you doing here?" Jack rasped. His throat was sore and scratchy, having not used his voice for who knows how long. Maria moved as close as she could to the edge of the ledge, enabling Jack to hear her as best he could.

"Jack I haven't much time, but I have come to warn you," she began. Jack quirked an eyebrow at her. What could she possibly warn him about now? He was already dead, and didn't understand what could possibly be worse than this.

"Mum, you always appear to warn me. But what could you possibly warn a deceased man about?" He asked disdainfully. Any reminder that he had, in fact, departed from the land of the living, was enough to send all his sense of respect away. Her eyes turned dejected upon hearing his words, causing an unpleasant feeling to well up within him. He didn't desire his sharp tongue to send away the one person whom he felt would stay on his side at any point in time.

"Jack, you know full well that you are on your way to the Locker. I had to tell you this before you went too far," she continued. Jack's curiosity peaked, rather intrigued by the details, that were surely to be explained by his mother, about Davy Jones's nefarious place of eternal torture.

"The Locker is a place of suffering Jackie. It treats its victims to, not only physical, but mental torture. It will warp your mind until your judgment is so impaired that you go completely insane!" She weaved her words well, trying her very best to get the message across to her son. Jack's eyes widened as two men, or some species of male, came and grabbed his mother from behind.

"Mum!" He called out, but found he was incapable of helping her in any way. The men appeared to be authority of some sort. In the far back of his mind, the part that was still insistent on making some sense of his current turmoil, he surmised that they were guards that kept the spirits of the Underworld in check. Far too much like the laws of the living, the ones he'd been skillfully breaking his whole life, for his liking.

"The Locker will test you Jack! Don't let it take away who you are!" She foreshadowed. Then she, by the doing of the two guards, disappeared into the shadows of the tenebrous walls. Jack felt paralyzed, unable to will any part of his body to move. What was going to happen to him in that dreadful place? Of all the times he'd met his mother, whether alive or as an apparition, he'd never seen her as afraid as she had been right now.

Something tightened inside him, making him feel ill. He began to feel a fear unlike any he'd felt before. It wasn't the childish fear he'd felt towards idiotic concepts in his younger stages. It wasn't the somewhat comical fear that he felt towards relationships and families. Hell, it wasn't even the life threatening fear he held for the noose or Davy Jones.

This was worse. The words terror and horror couldn't even come close to describing what was forming in his gut.

This was a fear of losing his freedom.

The nausea that the feeling brought found its way up his throat, forcing him to spew the remaining contents of his stomach into the once untainted water. He leaned heavily against the edge of the boat, panting in exertion.

He had to keep his sanity. He was not going to fall prey to the vile effects of the Locker. He'd have to stay stubborn, a quality that he was now proud he possessed. He couldn't give in to the games that were to be played with him. His mind wandered farther than intended, fabricating ideas of the tortures that the Locker would hold, searing a scowl of disgust to his visage.

The sound of rushing water intervened between him and his lamentable fantasies. He scurried to his feet, moving as far forward as his tiny vessel would allow. Eyes widened upon realizing from where the intrusive noise had originated. He moved senselessly about the skiff, hoping to find something with which he could steer. His hopes died upon arriving at the conclusion that his generous provider had not been courteous enough to supply him with oars.

He slumped defeatedly onto the raised bench of the wooden structure. His fingers latched rigidly onto the underside of his seat, as if assuming they could protect him. His eyes stared steadily at the immense waterfall, quite breathtaking from a viewer's perspective. But to Jack, who at the moment was inescapably bound to topple over it in a less than insufficient vessel, it spelled doom in crimson.

As the final stretch was crossed between him and the torrent drop, Jack wrenched his neck away from the sight. His eyes clenched shut, forcing out all light, and somehow hoping to drown out sound as well. But his efforts proved to be in vain.

He felt his body slicing through the thick air in front of the rapid currents. The air was abrasive, merciless and cruel, as he continued his painful descent. His fingers had instinctively released the bench upon realizing that the skiff would serve as nothing more than a burden. But he could not will his eyelids to peel from one another.

A fierce impact sent an electrifying sensation through his entire frame. A hint of irony creeped its way into his mind upon discerning that he was unable to develop enough willpower to move any body part, with the convenient exception of his eyelids.

Though they were weary and heavy, amounting to a strenuous effort to lift them, he was pleased to have control over his sight again. The vision he was greeted with appeared to be impaired. Jack was able to recognize it as the warping qualities of being underwater. His worn orbs scanned the area as best they could, deducing nothing except for the fact that he was surrounded by bluish-black water.

A new actuality crawled from one of his other senses. He hadn't taken a breath of air since he'd began his plunge into this godforsaken sea. What amazed him even further, was that he had absolutely no desire to either. He began to smile contentedly, pleased with his current situation over his previous horrific figments of the Locker.

He was not a lucky fellow for the most part, and his streak seemed to continue in the land of the dead. For as soon as he'd thought about happiness in this prison, an object, resembling the feel of a claw, wound a firm, burning, almost agonizing grip around his ankle. He attempted to scream, but all that came out were muffled, pathetic sounds and taunting bubbles.

The hand pulled him deeper into the dark abyss at an aggressive pace. The pressure built up in his ears, sticking its horrid claws into the depths of his skull. A splitting headache forced his just recently regained senses to shut down, submitting to the superior pain. His mind willingly gave in, letting darkness consume his world, but not before he was rewarded with the sight of a warm, yellow light emanating from the ocean floor.

~•~

The bayou river was a bathed in an eerie glow, pulsing from a hundred solemn candles. The men and women holding said candles had looks of grief and condolence masking their faces to the point that even the wind seemed to lose its wild spirit, subduing into a sorrowful breeze.

Her streams of tears had long since dried up, leaving white stains in their wake. Though the breeze was gentle in caressing the trees and tenderly coaxing the water to ripple, it beat her face in stinging whips of harsh and frigid air. Her eyes lacked any sparkle of life, dead irises staring aimlessly up at the shack that was their destination.

She felt she deserved this. The feeling of emptiness and loneliness that threatened to consume her if not quenched. But she wouldn't aid its thirst. She couldn't. The one person that could bring back her once fiery spirit was at the bottom of the ocean, his soul most likely going through torment that a normal person would find unimaginable. And it was her fault. She deserved this. She wanted this. The guilt and pain of loss should continue to torment her till the end of her days, and haunt her into her afterlife. That is, of course, if she didn't end up in hell for her deeds. She was broken, and had the nagging feeling that she wasn't a soul that could be saved.

Her feet trudged up the stairs, carrying her weight without protest, knowing that any resistance would send her mind out of commission. Her body slumped into a lonely chair in the corner of the hut, away from all the depressed eyes of the crew. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle the sadness if she made eye contact.

But one pair of eyes remained trained on her. They had restrained from straying since they had boarded the lifeboat. The fire for vengeance now extinguished, a guilt unmeasurable by any being haunted his empty husk of a heart. He'd never, in all the time he'd spent planning out Jack's demise, took into account the aftermath that the event might present.

"William, you mustn't do anything half way," Tia Dalma counseled, her thick accent filled with cryptic undertones. His eyes slid from Elizabeth to the table where he had been inadvertently darting his dagger. He reluctantly took the cup of offered coffee, hoping it could calm him even slightly.

"For the pain... and the sorrow," Tia offered gently. Elizabeth looked up at her with closed-off eyes, hollow and dark. Tia sighed and sat on the arm of the chair, a hand resting delicately on the shoulder of the lone woman.

"Guilt is a strong feeling Elizabeth. And Jack... let's just say it hurts more when it's directed towards one you love," she eased the advice. Upon hearing his name, tears that she didn't think herself capable of inducing precariously threatened to give away her vulnerable state of mind. Already comprehending what would occur should they stay in this room even a moment longer, Tia tenderly raised Elizabeth to her feet. A hand placed firmly on her back provided the support that her shaking legs proved incapable of.

As they made their way to the back of the house, Will's prying eyes followed their footsteps. A part of him was screaming that he should respect their privacy, keep to the small shreds of morality he still preserved. But another, much larger part of him convinced him to follow them discreetly, adding yet another sin to his steadily growing list.

Elizabeth sat gingerly on the bed, her crouching over, giving her the appearance of a feeble child. The air in the room was noticeably colder than the main hall, springing goosebumps across her pale skin. Tia lit a few candles, giving off some much needed light and warmth.

"You miss him?" She asked, though it sounded more of a statement than a question. Elizabeth couldn't bring herself to speak, a large lump already forming in her throat. To left the candles and sat down beside the shattered woman. Her eyes wee already filled to the brim with tears, but some strange stubbornness in her refused to let them fall.

"You love... _loved_ Jack, didn't you?" She delved deeper. Elizabeth was astonished by her uncanny ability to ask precisely the right question at exactly the perfect moment. The mere mention of his name and the word "love" in the same sentence sent her over the edge, the dammed contents of her waterline dripping in pearly drops.

"I still love him. And I killed him," she said in what she hoped was an indifferent tone. Unfortunately, her efforts were futile, as regret and pain speed through every word she uttered.

"What if I told you... it doesn't have to be this way? That he could be brought back?" Tia suggested enigmatically. Elizabeth's testy eyes grew three sizes as she gazed at the mystic with a completely baffled face. Was this even possible? Do her ears deceive her? The amused smile that slowly crept onto Tia's countenance on seeing her reaction brought her down from her newfound heights of elation.

"I'm listening."

~•~

Will's heart nearly stopped upon hearing the witch's words. Bring him back? That cannot be right. It was this very woman who had implanted the ideology of killing him in the first place. And now she was gong to bring him back? He left the scene with the speed of panther entering yet another private room that had been allotted for him and Elizabeth upon their arrival. He plopped heavily down on the bed, his hands supporting his suddenly very throbbing head.

A strange, foreign, and fairly unwelcome thought entered his mind. The suggestions said thought made were even more absurd than the thought coming all together. Did he make a mistake by doing all this? By killing Jack? By making Elizabeth take the blame? All for his own personal advantage? The traitorous ideas made him feel filthy, far worse than the pirates he'd once assumed were the scum of earth.

He'd plotted against, and eventually killed a man he'd considered a good friend. He'd manipulated and tricked the woman he loved. He made deals with the devil and committed unforgivable sins. All in the course of attaining what he desired. Then another suggestion was made I him.

Perhaps the reason he'd overheard that wasn't so coincidental. Perhaps it was his chance to redeem himself. If he could help Elizabeth get Jack back to the land of the living, he would alleviate her guilt and some of his along with it. But the only way he saw to do so, was to reveal the truth if his treachery.

The clashing thoughts only worsened his headache, stirring up feelings of anger and dread. His hands rubbed his tires face and came to a conclusion. If by chance Elizabeth says that she wishes to save Jack, at that post and that point only, he would reveal the truth to her.

"You deserve the truth. Both you... and him."

~•~

To be continued...


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N:

Summary: Jack gets a taste of what the Locker can do. Elizabeth takes matters into her own hands.

~•~

The sharp rays of what was unmistakably sunlight pierced through his spent pupils. Blinking, hoping to adjust to the blinding glare, Jack brought his sore hands up to massage his throbbing head. He hoisted his body up on protesting legs, hoping to find himself in a dreadful hangover rather than what he knew to be reality.

The view the greeted him was not what he'd wished for, nor what he'd expected. The dry, undamaged deck of his precious Pearl lay before him. A feeling that he'd thought was long lost to him, joy to be exact, filled him from head to toe. A breathy chuckle, followed by a slowly widening smile spread onto Jack's face. So far his time in the Locker hadn't been as bad as he'd thought it would start out. Then came the only sound he'd heard since he'd fallen into that waterfall, now a vague memory in the back of his exhausted mind. It was a low rumble, yearning and desperate... and it was coming from his stomach. The unmistakable and unyielding call of hunger drove the captain towards his cabin.

Like the deck, his cabin had also somehow magically restored itself to its former glory.

' _My cabin hasn't been this neat since that night that Elizabeth organized it...'_ he began to think, but quickly cut himself off as soon as she entered the sentence. But it was true. The room was spotless, the neatest it had ever been. Most of his mind told him that he should be happy about this, that his ship had survived the tumultuous journey to the Locker. But a small part of him, a very suspicious personality, repeated over and over again that this was some kind of trick.

Ultimately deciding to ignore the conspiracy, Jack chose to go straight to the cabinets that held some leisure snacks. He smirked as he pulled out a few biscuits and a full bottle of rum. Wanting to satisfy his needy stomach before treating it to the burning massage of the liquor, he took a rather large bite of a biscuit. He'd expected a sweet, hard and tasty cake of wheat, but the was not what he had in his mouth. The biscuit abruptly disintegrated into ash, coating his taste buds in a burnt and revolting powder. Instinctively, he tried to spat out the vile substance, but found that it had caked itself to his tongue. In an act of desperation, he began to vigorously attach and claw at the tired muscle until the ash had been scraped off.

Panting after the exertion, Jack began to feel the consequences of his anguished actions. A strong taste of iron flooded his mouth in the form of a warm liquid. As soon as he drew his tongue back into his mouth, the skin stung like hell. The blood was overflowing, seeping from the corners of his lips, forcing his tongue back out into the open. He let the tired organ hang for a few moments before gingerly pulling back into the safety of his oral cavity.

' _Who'd have thought eating would cost me this much?'_ He thought to himself, despairingly wishing that he hadn't tried to eat the damned biscuit. The rawness and pain on his tongue seemed to be vanishing, and when he stuck it out again to examine it, the cuts and gashes seemed to disappear into thin air.

A smile crept its way into his face, exceedingly pleased with the short duration of what could only be assumed as one of the Locker's many methods of punishment. In a triumphant mood, he took a large gulp of the rum he'd been dying to have a go at. At first he sighed contentedly, the familiar and soothing burn of the booze running down his body. But the burning quickly turned sharper and stronger, making the feeling foreign and uncomfortable. Jack uneasily placed the bottle back down on his desk and brought a hand to smooth over his torso. The burning sensation didn't quit, instead escalating at an alarming rate. His breaths became sharp and wheezy by the time it felt as if his insides had actually been lit on fire.

He began coughing and retching, praying that it would help him expel the horrible sting. He terribly craved a salve to soothe the burning that seemed to have no intention of ceasing. He tried drinking some water from a jug he kept for emergencies, but no matter how much water vanished from the mug, nothing entered him. He found himself shaking the flask vigorously, his tongue reaching inside to try and snag some droplets, begging for the sweet nectar that would appease his insides. But all efforts were in vain.

He fell back into the bed, squirming and writhing about, hoping that applying pressure would at least dull the pain. He curled his legs up as high as he could and wound his arms around his knees as tight as possible. The areas that he was pressing seemed to relieve him from some of the anguish. So he thought it best to remain in such a position until the time that he'd have no more of the burn.

As predicted the burn slowly dissipated, leaving Jack breathless and achy from holding the strange position. The pirate carefully unraveled himself and worked his way out of his tortuous cabin.

 _'Is this a punishment? Am I to be eternally hungry and thirsty?'_ He thought pessimistically. As he trudged his weary bones back up to the main deck, he noticed something that hadn't been apparent before. He scurried over to the side and stretched his head out as far as possible. He drew back and was completely in shock, and more hopeless than before.

His ship was stranded in an endless desert of white.

Along with him.

~•~

Elizabeth thought that she had gone deaf by the time the mystic finished explaining all the fine lines and confusing tricks that stood between her and recovering Jack. But she had intently been registering every single aspect of the lengthy process. Her mind had cultivated all of her energy, willpower, and dedication into this sole task. For without accomplishing this, without getting her Jack back, she might as well have been dead.

Her hand wandered up to the neckline of her dress and pulled out the decorated swan pendant that Will had gotten for her. Or at least that's what she'd assumed. Tia had cleared her initial incredibility over Will's thieving from Jack. But once the cold reality of the lies that had been told to her set in, she found the worst emotions in the world consuming her soul.

Anger.

Pain.

And most of all...

Guilt.

She felt guilty for running away and making Will jealous, possessive, and ultimately deceitful. She felt guilt for not being straight with Jack about her love for him from the very beginning. She felt guilty for doubting him and believing Will's horrible lies. She felt guilty for all the terrible things that she'd said to him ever since that one day at the beach with Will, the day she received the swan. And finally, she regretted letting these stupid feelings like jealousy, distrust and anger take over, pushing her to do the worst thing of all.

She buried her face in her hands for a few moments, breathing heavily and trying to collect herself. She rubbed them down and off her, wiping away the sheen of exhausted sweat that covered her visage.

"Tia, you've explained everything I have to do, except the one aspect that you said would prove to be the hardest. What is it that you have neglected to share with me?" She asked in a calm, almost deadly tone of voice. The voodoo priestess stood from her place on the bed and stood in front of the pale, young woman, taking her shaking hands in hers.

"You must accept your guilt and pain," she said, her mannerisms conveying that it was indeed a difficult task.

"Pardon? I already feel consumed by guilt! What more could I possibly do?" Elizabeth tried sounding intimidating, but her voice slowly lessened until it was cracking in high pitches. Tia raised the girl to her feet and made her look into her deep eyes, allowing her to fully grasp the gravity of her task.

"It is not enough to merely feel guilty about your blunder Elizabeth. You must let it destroy you. The only way to do that is to reveal your mistake to everyone."

"I must? To everyone? What will they think of me? I'll be ruined!" She exclaimed in fear. The disappointed and hateful stares of the crew already filled her sight.

"That is precisely the point. When you sent Jack to Davy Jones' Locker, you ripped out part of his soul. Everything else I've told you that you must do thus far will merely be guiding stars in your journey. But to even begin, you must give away part of your soul... just as Jack did."

Elizabeth's face twisted in thought. On one had she had her pride... but on the other hand she had her guilt and the chance to right her wrongs. The more she thought on it, the easier the choice became. What worth did pride have if you were drowning in your guilt for the rest of your life?

"Alright. I'll do it."

~•~

He didn't know how long he'd been standing at the wheel. Time seemed to be a distant concept that didn't exist in this realm. He knew damn well that his ship wasn't moving, that it was firmly planted in the endless desert. His entire weight leaned against the helm, his fingers wrapped securely around the spokes.

"Jack?" A light, almost whispering voice called him. His head shot up immediately, searching wildly for the source. The voice called him again and this time he tried to follow it. It led him away from the quarter deck all the way to the forecastle. There was something vaguely familiar about the beckoning voice, from a point in his past long forgotten.

Perched on the bowsprit, holding the rigging with confidence, stood a young woman. Her brown hair was straight and damp with sweat, falling in strands on her shoulders. Her eyes were a stormy blue, wide and bold. She was clad in men's clothing, a pair of brown trousers and a plain linen shirt. She leapt of the bow and strutted towards him, a smirk painted on her countenance.

"Surprised to see me, eh?" She asked in a snarky, almost mocking way. Jack couldn't believe his eyes. This was indeed a vision from his past, but not one that he could soon forget. It was a face that never left his memory, having played such a key role in his young life. A smile found its way to his own face, genuine and welcome, as he bowed slightly in greeting.

"Hello, Abaigeal ," he said, still somewhat incredulous upon her arrival.

"I'm honored that you still remember me Jack. Oh I'm sorry, it's Captain Jack Sparrow now, right? My mistake. Please forgive me, oh Pirate Lord of the Caribbean Sea."

Never had he been so ashamed of his title. Vicious memories of Abaigeal came back as haunting flashbacks. The storm, the gunpowder, the blood, the screams. They all surrounded, recreating the scenario in vivid detail. That was when he had last saw her. The day that she had left God's green earth for the depths of the sea. The day that he'd damned pirates and piracy for taking away someone so dear to him. A few days after learning of his mother's illness, and one week before he joined the EITC.

Now here he stood, in front of that very same woman, as a Pirate Lord. Funny how the tides of time can change a man. But piracy had taken her life. That was the reason behind her very humiliating tone, one that stung him deep.

"Abaigeal, I never forgot what happened to you. I even left piracy after that incident. But I didn't have a choice..I..." he tried explaining, but she cut him off. Her halting hand fell heavily at her side, her eye refusing to make contact with his.

"Jack you should be ashamed of yourself. You made me one promise, before I died. You told me you would make these pirates pay, pay for what they did to me," she started, finally meeting his gaze. But the way her eyes turned cold and hard made him wish she remained avoiding his.

"But instead, you turned into one of those despicable men yourself. I can't even tell you how disgusted I am with you," she spat. Her words carved a gouge in Jack's heart. Even though his brain kept giving him alibis, saying he was forced into piracy or that not all pirates were bad, his heart couldn't help but ache with guilt.

"Abaigeal, please listen to me. I don't have a choice..." he began again, but she scoffed and silenced him at once.

"Save it Jack. I just came here because I finally had the chance to tell you just how much I despise you. Now that my job is done, I shall take your leave, Captain." She put excessive sarcasm on the last word, before vanishing from sight, leaving him alone once again.

' _This must be that damned mental torture that mum warned me about. I have to fight it. I have to keep my sanity."_ If this was real life, he be drowning himself in rum by now to order his thoughts. But seeing as how even the rum here was a method of torture, he thought it best to avoid the beverage.

Back at the helm, whiling away who knows how much time, Jack began to think. Had he really disappointed the people he cared about? Was he that incompetent in life that he couldn't fulfill the one promise he'd made to his dying friend? Did he deserve to be here after all?

' _No! Stop thinking like that! You just have to fight it. Don't let it get to you.'_ His mind warned him. He silenced all of his thoughts and let his eyes stare out aimlessly at the sand. That was all he could do. And it gave him the worst feeling of helplessness he'd ever experienced.

~•~

The crew sat around her like children, eager but at the same time unenthusiastic. Despite how contradictory that may sound, it was true. She could feel the guilt ready itself to attack her, waiting for the opportune moment to obliterate her.

"The reason I called you all here is... well because...," she swallowed the large lump forming in her throat. Turning to look at Tia, the woman nodded her head, coaxing her onward.

"Jack didn't die by his own accord. He was... he... he was betrayed," she forced the words out of her mouth. A unanimous gasp sounded through the men, followed by baffled muttering and curious looks.

"And you should also know that... that it was I who betrayed. I distracted him and I chained him to the mast of his own ship. I left him there to die. I used his weakness against him. I understand if you are furious with me and want to kill me on sight, but if you care about Jack then you have to listen to me!" She finished fiercely. Some part of her advises that if she spewed all of the shameful aspects of the story all at once, the pain would be easier to deal with. And it was to some extent.

After a tense silence, one night even say stifling, Gibbs saw it fit to speak.

"I don't know how you found it in that heart of yours to do this, Elizabeth. Jack loved you with all his heart, and blind fool could see that. Betrayal never sat to well with that lad, and one of this kind..." he trailed off, letting the meaning of his words settle on her like morning dew.

"But that doesn't mean I'll pass up the chance to save him. So tell us Miss Swann, what is this plan?" She gave him her thanks with a slight smile, as the crew conceded and listened patiently. She pulled the compass off her belt, cradling it in her palms like a wounded bird. Another hand wandered to her neckline, pulling out the swan, what she considered her last object of love from Jack. She held them in her hands separately, as a priest would hold a bride and groom apart before their holy union.

"This swan was Jack's last gift to me. It's the last symbol I have of our love. Combining it with his compass will provide me with a heading to him. All I'll need then is a crew who is willing to go with me to world's end to save their beloved captain," she explained, eyes turning hopeful when she stared at the absorbing visages of the crew.

"Aye!" They sounded in unison. Elizabeth's heart leapt after what felt like forever. She had a chance, one last chance, and she was not going to blow it. The wind was finally in their favor, and she could never be the pirate Jack wanted her to be if she didn't play to this advantage.

But one person, one who had extremely mixed emotions about this journey, sat as still as stone in his chair. Wills heart was pounding hard in his chest, he could feel the thumping in every vein of his body. She had said the compass was Jack's gift. That could only mean one thing. She knew.

She knew of all his lies and deceit. She knew about his foul treatment of Jack and all he'd done to split them apart. He'd wanted to be the one to tell her of all this. Ease the information, soften the blow as it were. But now she knew. And the hard and steely gaze, devoid of all emotion except hate, that met him when he looked her way, was all the proof he needed to know that, all hope he'd had to end up with Elizabeth had died.

~•~

To be continued...


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Author: PiratessDesire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: Oh my god, I haven't seen this story in forever, but it never left my mind. I am so sorry for disappearing for so long. Since it's been so long, the chapters are going to be shorter cause I feel like my creative flow has weakened. But I really just wanted to put anything I had out there for all the loyal followers of this stories who have been begging me to continue. So this is my apology present to you guys! Enjoy!

Summary: Jack continues his suffering in hell. Elizabeth's quest to save him begins.

~•~

The only thing he'd learned in this cursed hell of his own making, was that time moved differently here. In this context, it meant it never moved. The sun never set, the wind never blew and there wasn't a sound other than the gentle creaking of his ship under his boots.

Jack had been standing at the helm of his ship since the last visit he'd had from a wraith of his past. They only came to torment him, replaying the most horrendous parts of his life. The tales he'd heard about Davy Jones' Locker seemed like fairytales compared to the actual thing.

Quite reluctantly, he pushed himself off the wheel and down the stairs to the rigging. His fingers wound tightly around the ropes in efforts to keep his weary body from collapsing. Food and drink seemed to be a distant memory, since all manner of pleasure in this Godforsaken realm turned into methods of torture. If he was still a living being, the malnutrition he suffered would have given him the appearance of a skeleton and led to death, an escape from that suffering. But here, he only felt the exhaustion and anguish that came from the insatiable starving and the unquenchable thirst, and no escape was in sight.

"Quite the mess we've ended up in, isn't it?" A voice unfathomably familiar observed behind him. His spent eyes turned curiously in the direction of said sound, expecting an unwelcome figment of his burdensome past. But the figure, perched eloquently on the railing of the ship, legs crossed and expression sarcastic, was none other than himself.

He shook his head, refocused his eyes and took a closer look, and there was no doubt about it. He was actually staring at his own, albeit much more lively, self. The figment gracefully leapt off the railing and strode to the main mast. Tired legs were willed to follow him by their fatigued host. The apparition ran his hands delicately over the wood, a somber smirk pulling at his lips.

"I can't believe she sent us here. She is the reason for all our torment and suffering," he said, tone full of disappointment and regret. Jack felt his heart twitch after a long period of inactivity. He prayed to a God that couldn't hear him, that the name of the aforementioned "she" wouldn't arise.

But, as if he'd heard his thoughts, the figment continued.

"Elizabeth sent us here."

~•~

"Elizabeth, please listen to me! It's not what it seems like," Will pleaded as Elizabeth sat eerily still facing the window of their bedroom. Her breathing was slightly labored, indicating her frustration with the constant pleas of the man behind her. Her head turned ever so slightly, allowing Will to catch a glimpse of her hardened gaze, as cold as the pale moon on this night.

"And what is it supposed to seem like Will? How can you possibly change my perspective?" She asked, the hate in her voice was evident, but it seemed to be only half directed towards him. The other half morphed into a deep self loathing that could make a man's stomach twist. Nevertheless, he dared to move a few steps closer to the disturbed woman.

"Elizabeth, I admit that what I did was beyond wrong. You have every right to despise me for the rest of my worthless life...but I beg you not to do so. Please be the bigger person and allow me to atone for my sins," Will gave a last attempt at his search for redemption, praying desperately that the goodness in Elizabeth's heart would triumph over her detestation of him.

Elizabeth sighed slowly, shoulders quaking and breath uneven. Her thoughts raced before her eyes, half of them favoring one option over the other. This tug of war between herself ended on a final realization. Will had been driven to this extent by her. His actions were unforgivable by any measure, but given that if it weren't for her, he wouldn't have committed these sins anyway, it seemed only fair that she give him a chance for atonement, even if nobody else would.

"Will, I have wronged you as well. I played with your heart and drove you to do unspeakable things. For this I apologize with all my heart. You deserve your chance to seek redemption same as I, but, like myself, I have no guarantee that redemption will come. That lies in the hands of the man who paid the price for our sins. He'll be our judge. Do you find these terms fair?"

Will soaked up the information and nodded, and though she wasn't looking at him, Elizabeth felt his acceptance. Her waterline briefly filled with tears at the thought of Jack, but dried once more when she diverted her attention to the plot to rescue him. Even as she explained to Will that redemption was an uncertainty for both him and her, she wished that it would be predetermined. The suspense of Jack's impending decision gnawed at her, but she settled it down.

"I understand all that you have said Elizabeth. Please don't take this as a sign of opposition but... how are we going to get to world's end without a ship," Will questioned meekly, aware of the fact that mentioning a ship would bring about unwanted memories of the black ship they'd recently lost. Elizabeth sighed and ran a hand through her wild blonde locks.

"I don't know Will...but we have to figure something ou..." She was cut short by a small cough from the door, intended to get there attention. The two inhabitants of the room turned towards the sound, eyes widening and mouths slightly agape.

"I think I could help with that," the mystery voice said.

~•~

A/N: Again, sorry for the outrageously short length but I think it's better than nothing. Hope you all forgive me for my ridiculously long hiatus. Welcome back to the story!


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